Wh 


CHARLES  MONROE  COFFIN 
HIS  BOOK 


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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


Trinity  Church 


Edited  by 
Mary  E.  Mixer 


^fiBSJojonSw^ 


The  Peter  Paul  Book  Company 
Buffalo,  New  York 

MDCCCXCVII 


Copyrighted  in  the  year  1897 

by 

Mary  E.  Mixer 


qj^S&itoJHteF- 


Printed  and  bound  in  the  year  1897 
by  The  Peter  Paul  Book  Company, 
in  Buffalo,  New  York. 


TO  THE 

(Ehittott  rrf  Tritritg  Parish 

THE  FUTURE  WARDENS  AND 
VESTRYMEN  OF  THE 
CHURCH, 
HEIRS  TO  A  NOBLE  INHERITANCE, 
THIS  BOOK  IS  DEDI- 
CATED 


31 


Editor's  Note 

The  designs  of  the  cover  and  title-page  were  drawn 
by  Miss  Elise  Devereux,  artist. 

In  the  arduous  work  of  compiling  and  printing  the 
history,  several  errors  were  unfortunately  overlooked 
until  too  late  to  correct  them. 

On  page  36,  the  name  of  Mr.  Corneille  R.  Ganson  is 
wrongly  given  as  "  Cornelius  R.  Ganson." 

On  page  41,  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Thomas  F.  Rochester 
are  referred  to  as  coming  from  Geneva,  which  was  the 
early  home  of  Mrs.  Rochester.  They  removed  to  Buffalo 
from  Rochester,  which  city  was  named  for  the  doctor's 
family. 

On  page  103,  "Mr.  Horatio  H.  Seymour"  should  be 
"Mr.  Henry  H.  Seymour";  and  on  page  107,  "Mrs. 
Horatio  H.  Seymour"  should  be  "Mr.  Henry  H.  Sey- 
mour." 


Preface 

IN  the  experience  of  all  large  cities  it  is  found  that  old 
landmarks,  prominent  citizens,  and  important  events 
are  apt  to  be  passed  over  in  the  progress  of  time, 
their  places  filled,  their  monuments  razed  to  the  ground 
to  make  way  for  those  of  a  new  generation. 

The  important  part  played  in  the  prosperity  and 
growth  of  such  cities  by  the  early  builders  thereof  is 
seldom  remembered  by  those  who  tread  the  paths  made 
easy  for  them  and  live  in  happiness  and  peace  beneath 
the  spreading  branches  of  trees  whose  shade  measures 
the  passing  of  one  or  two  generations. 

As  a  rule,  the  pioneers  of  all  such  settlements  are 
men  of  mark,  sometimes  of  wealth  and  position;  and 
their  opinions,  their  laws  and  customs,  insensibly  influ- 
ence their  successors  for  all  time.  Observe  in  New  York 
city,  Albany,  and  other  portions  of  our  state,  how  the 
Knickerbocker  presence  of  early  days  is  still  felt  in  the 
land;  how  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  social  customs,  local 
laws,  and  the  very  manners  of  the  citizens  bespeak  their 
French  origin.  So  we  might  go  on,  from  section  to  sec- 
tion of  our  great  country,  tracing  by  their  present  cus- 
toms and  laws  the  influences  that  laid  the  foundations 
of  their  cities  and  of  their  forms  of  government;  and 
Buffalo,  though  not  the  most  important  of  our  cities, 
can  boast  an  honorable  heritage,  for  her  first  citizens 
were  men  of  brains  and  men  of  mark. 

In    1679   Father    Hennepin   and  his  small  band  of 
explorers,  under  the  leadership  of  La  Salle,  with  much 


vi  Preface 

labor  carried  the  material  for  a  small  vessel  over  the  port- 
age at  Niagara  River,  and  climbed  the  heights  of  Lewis- 
ton.  They  toiled  slowly  on  their  way  over  snowy  plains 
and  through  gloomy  forests,  till  they  came  at  last  to  a 
small  stream  which  entered  the  Niagara  two  leagues 
above  the  cataract  —  undoubtedly  Cayuga  Creek.  There 
they  built  the  vessel  for  which  they  had  brought  the 
materials,  and  launched  the  "  Griffin "  in  the  spring, 
under  many  difficulties,  caused  by  the  rapids  in  the 
river.  At  length  the  small  vessel  of  sixty  tons,  armed 
with  seven  guns,  all  of  which  had  been  transported  by 
land  around  the  cataract,  sailed  away  on  our  great  inland 
sea,  to  the  singing  of  the  Te  Dcum  and  the  roaring  of 
cannon.  It  bore  as  a  part  of  its  crew  the  intrepid  La 
Salle,  a  blue-eyed,  ringleted  cavalier,  fitted  to  grace  the 
salons  of  Paris,  yet  eagerly  pressing  forward  to  dare  the 
hardships  of  unknown  seas  and  savage  lands. 

Tonti,  exiled  from  his  native  Italy  by  revolution,  the 
second  in  command,  was  a  man  of  unswerving  courage 
and  devoted  loyalty.  Father  Hennepin,  the  early  histo- 
rian of  this  region,  was  one  of  the  most  zealous  of  all 
that  band  of  Roman  priests  who  bore  the  cross  to  the 
fiercest  pagans  of  the  New  World,  and  laid  down  their 
lives  with  the  martyr's  courage  in  the  dense  primeval 
forests. 

Have  not  these  men  left  their  mark  on  our  border- 
land ?  And  are  not  our  hearts  still  thrilled  by  the  stories 
of  their  faith  and  courage  ? 

Then,  as  years  went  on,  and  the  dispute  of  French 
and  English  for  supremacy  resulted  in  the  Battle  of 
Niagara,  the  site  of  old  Fort  Porter  and  its  vis-a-vis, 
Fort    Erie,  became   the   battlefield  of  the  two   nations. 


Preface  vii 

Grand  and  Navy  islands  were  in  the  midst  of  the  fray. 
An  arm  of  the  river  separating  Buckhorn  Island  from 
Grand  Island  still  bears  the  name  of  "  Burnt  Ship  Bay." 

To  come  down  to  modern  times  :  the  old  ferry  at 
Black  Rock  was  quite  a  noted  point  in  1814.  It  was 
first  chosen  as  the  most  favorable  site  for  the  settlement. 
A  great  salt  exchange  was  established  there,  at  which 
traders  from  even  as  far  as  Pittsburg  assembled.  Fort 
Erie,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  whose  foundations 
were  laid  in  1 791,  is  described  by  the  Duke  of  Liancourt 
in  1795  as  a  very  rude  collection  of  buildings. 

In  1800  Augustus  Porter,  of  Canandaigua,  had  a 
contract  for  carrying  the  mail  to  Niagara.  Doctor 
Dwight,  then  president  of  Yale  College,  mentions  this 
ferry  in  his  "  Journey  through  the  State  of  New  York." 
In  the  same  summer  Gouverneur  Morris  passed  that 
way.  In  18 14  came  the  famous  struggle  at  Fort  Erie, 
where  generals  Brown  and  Porter  covered  themselves 
with  glory.  Colonel  William  A.  Bird's  house  and 
grounds  then,  as  now,  commanded  a  full  view  of  the 
battlefield.  Mr.  Thomas  C.  Love,  then  a  student  at  law, 
was  wounded  in  that  engagement,  and  was  transferred  to 
Quebec,  where  for  six  months  he  was  held  as  a  prisoner 
of  war,  suffering  very  great  privations.  The  kindly  min- 
istrations of  a  young  married  couple  resident  in  Quebec 
greatly  alleviated  his  hardships,  and  won  his  lifelong 
gratitude.  Years  after,  this  couple  came  from  Canada  to 
take  up  their  residence  in  Buffalo,  and  succeeding  gen- 
erations will  revere  the  memory  of  Jesse  Ketchum  and 
his  wife. 

This  hurried  glimpse  into  the  past  is  only  given  to 
claim  the  point  that  the  past  history  of  Buffalo  is  worth 


viii  Preface 

knowing ;  that  in  war,  in  civil  life,  in  government  annals, 
in  church  history,  we  can  cite  great  names  as  our  herit- 
age. 

A  noble  building,  occupying  the  central  block  of  our 
city,  perpetuates  the  name  of  the  man*  who  laid  out 
the  primitive  town,  and  whose  brother  was  one  of  the 
engineers  who  surveyed  the  city  of  Washington. 

Not  to  delve  too  deep  into  history,  we  can  point  to 
the  beautiful  church  opposite  as  the  pioneer  church  of 
the  city,  of  which  Mr.  Samuel  M.  Welch,  in  his  most 
admirable  book, "  Recollections  of  Buffalo,"  says, "  What 
old  or  young  citizen,  who  is  imbued  with  sufficient  sen- 
timent to  have  gathered  an  affection  for  inanimate  things, 
does  not  look  on  this  particular  church  as  an  alma  mater 
in  things  spiritual  for  the  entire  community?  " 

Dear  Doctor  Shelton  !  the  brave  pioneer  of  the  church 
in  western  New  York,  the  noble  champion  of  the  truth 
of  her  doctrines,  and  in  his  life  and  practice  a  glorious 
example  of  the  fruit  of  her  teachings !  The  brusque 
honesty  of  his  manner  was  tempered  by  the  tenderness 
of  his  sympathy;  and  when  our  dear  Bishop  Coxe  chose 
as  the  text  of  his  memorial  sermon,  "  Behold  now,  there 
is  in  this  city  a  man  of  God,  and  he  is  an  honorable 
man"  (I.  Samuel  9:  6),  he  simply  repeated  what  had 
been  the  sentiment  of  the  citizens  of  Buffalo  generally 
with  reference  to  the  revered  rector  of  Saint  Paul's. 

How  proudly  can  we  recall  the  eloquence  of  the 
many  different  clergymen  who  have  filled  with  honor  the 
pulpits  of  our  churches !  How  honored  are  we  to 
enroll  as  citizens  of  Buffalo  names  which  have  echoed 
round  the  world  as  rulers  of  our  country,  as  jurists  of 


'Joseph  Ellicott. 


Preface  ix 

unquestionable  repute,  as  physicians  whose  very  names 
give  authority  to  anything  they  have  said  or  written ! 
Therefore  it  is  that  the  children  of  this  generation  should 
not  be  ignorant  of  their  honorable  past ;  that,  as  the 
landmarks  pass  away,  the  spots  whereon  they  stood  may 
still  be  held  sacred,  and  the  memory  kept  green  of  those 
whose  names  are  indissolubly  linked  with  them. 

To  keep  this  heritage  in  mind,  to  recall  to  the  next 
generation  many  facts  which  they  may  not  otherwise 
remember,  is  the  object  of  our  present  writing.  We  wish 
to  impress  on  the  minds  of  the  younger  members  of 
Trinity  Church  the  recollection  of  the  bishops,  rectors, 
and  vestries,  whose  names  have  made  memorable  its 
records  and  whose  very  presence  in  its  pulpits  and  pews 
has  been  a  precious  benison,  who  have  bestowed  dignity 
and  honor  on  its  name,  who  are  linked  in  all  the  various 
walks  and  professions  of  life  with  the  greatness,  growth, 
and  prosperity  of  our  city. 

The  editor  wishes  to  acknowledge  her  indebtedness 
to  Our  Church  Work  for  a  large  portion  of  the  article  on 
Bishop  Coxe.  Extracts  from  many  other  sources  have 
been  made  use  of  in  compiling  the  work,  but  it  did  not 
seem  possible  to  make  an  acknowledgment  in  each  case. 


Contents 

PAGE 

Preface, v 

List  of  Illustrations,         .....  xiii 

Saint  Paul's  Cathedral — the  Mother 

of  Trinity  Parish,    .         .           Compiled  i 

The  Beginning  of  Trinity  Church, 

Anna  Maude  Hoxsie  3 

Bishop  De  Lancey,         Mrs.  Charles  B.  Wheeler  1 5 

Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll,    .           Compiled  21 

Bishop  Coxe,        ....           Compiled  51 

Consolidation  of  Christ  Church  with 

Trinity,     .         .         .    Mrs.  A.  P.  Nichols  65 

Reverend  Libertus  Van  Bokkelen,     Compiled  69 

An  Easter  Day  Service,         "  Buffalo  Courier  "  83 

Reverend  Francis  Lobdell, 

Anniversary  Sermon  87 

Bishop  Walker,          .         "  Our  Church  Work "  101 

Trinity  Cooperative  Relief  Society, 

Emily  Sibley  Ganson  103 

Wardens  and  Vestrymen, 115 

Memorial  Gifts, 125 


Illustrations 


New  Trinity, 

William  Shelton,     .... 
Cicero  Stephens  Hawks, 
William  Heathcote  De  Lancey, 
Edward  Ingersoll,  1844, 
Edward  Ingersoll,  1875,. 
Arthur  Cleveland  Coxe,  1866, 
Arthur  Cleveland  Coxe,  1888, 
Christ  Church,  as  originally  designed, 
Libertus  Van  Bokkelen, . 

Old  Trinity, 

Francis  Lobdell,      .... 
William  D.  Walker, 


frontispiece 
facing  page     1 

3 

15 
21 

45 
51 

55 
65 
69 
83 
S7 
101 


History  of  Trinity  Church 


William  Shclton 


History  of  Trinity  Church 


Saint  Paul's  Cathedral  — the  Mother 
of  Trinity  Parish 

THE  organization  of  Saint  Paul's  Parish  took  place 
at  the  house  of  Elias  Ransom,  in  the  then  village 
of  Buffalo,  February  ioth,  1817.  The  Reverend 
Samuel  Johnston,  a  missionary  of  the  church  for  all  the 
country  west  of  the  Genesee  River,  officiated  on  this  occa- 
sion. The  certificate  of  incorporation  was  signed  by  him, 
and  by  George  Badger  and  Jacob  A.  Barker.  Messrs. 
Erastus  Granger  and  Isaac  Q.  Leake  were  the  first  war- 
dens; and  Messrs.  Samuel  Tupper,  Sheldon  Thompson, 
Elias  Ransom,  John  G.  Camp,  Henry  M.  Campbell,  John 
S.  Larned,  Jonas  Harrison,  and  Doctor  Josiah  Trow- 
bridge were  the  first  vestrymen.  The  first  settled  mis- 
sionary pastor  of  the  parish  was  the  Reverend  William 
A.  Clark,  in  18 19  and  1820.  He  was  succeeded  by  the 
Reverend  Deodatus  Babcock,  from  1820  to  1824,  and 
the  Reverend  Addison  Searle,  from  1824  to  1828.  The 
Reverend  William  Shelton  preached  his  first  sermon  in 
the  church  on  September  13th,  1829.  He  was  the  first 
rector  of  the  parish  who  received  no  support  from  the 
missionary  fund,  and  faithfully  served  Saint  Paul's  for 
more  than  fifty  years. 


2  History  of  Trinity  Church 

Under  his  auspices  the  present  stone  edifice  was 
erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  one  in  185 1.  Such  is  the 
beauty  of  the  design  that,  seen  from  any  point  which 
shows  an  entrance,  the  part  presented  to  view  appears  to 
be  the  front.  The  greatest  length  of  the  edifice  is  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  feet,  and  the  greatest  width 
ninety-four  feet.  The  chancel  is  twenty-eight  feet  deep 
and  twenty-eight  feet  wide.  The  stone  tower  and  spire 
at  the  junction  of  Pearl  and  Erie  streets  have  a  total 
height  of  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  feet,  the  spire 
cross  being  raised  very  nearly  as  high  as  that  of  Trinity 
Church,  New  York.  The  structure  has  been  justly 
called  "  Upjohn's  masterpiece,"  and  is  considered  one  of 
the  finest  specimens  of  Gothic  architecture  in  the  United 
States,  the  tower  being  specially  remarkable  for  its  grace 
and  symmetry.  The  whole  work  may  be  justly  consid- 
ered a  fitting  monument  to  the  untiring  perseverance, 
zeal,  and  industry  of  the  Reverend  Doctor  Shelton,  who 
witnessed  the  laying  of  the  first  foundation  stone,  the 
laying  of  the  last  stone  on  the  tall  spire,  and  the  erection 
of  the  gilded  cross  thereon. 


Note. — This  description  is  taken  from  an  old  newspaper  published  before  the 
fire  which  destroyed  a  large  portion  of  the  church.  Many  improvements  in  the 
interior  were  made  in  the  repairing ;  but  the  exterior,  with  the  exception  of  the 
chancel,  remains  the  same. — Editor. 


Cicero  Stephens  Hawks 


The  Beginning  of  Trinity  Church 

EARLY  in  the  history  of  Buffalo  we  find  mention 
of  Saint  Paul's,  the  first  Episcopal  church  in  the 
city;  and  shortly  afterwards  we  hear  of  its  off- 
shoots. The  seating  capacity  of  the  parent  church  grad- 
ually became  inadequate  to  its  increasing  congregation, 
and  consequently  a  number  of  families  withdrew  to  form 
a  new  parish.  The  first  movement  in  regard  to  its  es- 
tablishment was  made  in  Saint  Paul's,  on  Wednesday, 
October  12th,  1836,  when  a  meeting  of  prominent  men 
was  held,  with  Mr.  George  B.  Webster  in  the  chair.  The 
new  organization  was  named  Trinity  Church,  and  had 
for  its  first  wardens  Captain  Samuel  L.  Russell,  U.  S.  A., 
killed  in  the  Seminole  War,  and  Henry  Daw,  who  re- 
mained warden  until  his  death  in  1864.  The  vestry  was 
composed  of  E.  H.  Cressey,  Doctor  Charles  Winne, 
David  L.  Hempsted,  Robert  Hollister,  Joseph  Stringham, 
Ambrose  S.  Sterling,  Jesse  Peterson,  and  F.  H.  Harris. 
The  seal  of  Trinity  Church,  bearing  the  date  of  its  or- 
ganization, had  for  its  motto  the  word  "  Onward." 

In  January,  1837,  the  Reverend  Cicero  Stephens 
Hawks,  of  Ulster,  New  York,  was  invited  to  become 
rector;  and  in  February  he  assumed  his  duties.  His 
first  sermon  in  Buffalo  is  still  remembered  as  being  a 
brilliant  intellectual  and  oratorical  effort.  It  was  preached 
in  Saint  Paul's,  and  the  text  was, "  Render  therefore  unto 
Caesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's ;  and  unto  God  the 
things  that  are  God's." 


3 


4  History  of  Trinity  Church 

From  April,  1837,  to  September,  1839,  tne  congrega- 
tion of  Trinity  Church  worshiped  in  the  auditorium  of 
the  abandoned  theater,  known  as  Duffy's,  or  the  "  Buf- 
falo Theater,"  on  South  Division  Street,  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  Washington  Street.  The  musical  portion  of 
the  service  at  this  time  was  furnished  by  a  piano  and 
congregational  singing,  virtually  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.  Rushmore  Poole,  who  had  always  been  interested  in 
music.  On  June  30th,  1837,  a  new  piano  was  purchased, 
and  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars  per  year  was  appropriated  to 
pay  a  pianist.  The  first  regular  music  committee  entered 
upon  its  duties  in  May,  1838,  and  consisted  of  Mr.  Sam- 
uel K.  Kip  and  Mr.  Poole.  It  was  about  this  time  that  Mr. 
Jerry  Radcliffe  was  elected  warden,  and  he  continued  in 
office  until  his  death  in  1856.  A  little  later  Mr.  Poole 
was  elected  vestryman,  retaining  this  office  more  than 
seventeen  years.  He  had  charge  of  the  church  finances 
generally,  and  especially  of  the  collecting  of  pew  rents. 
While  still  worshiping  in  the  old  theater,  a  handsomely 
bound  Bible  was  presented  to  the  church  for  use  in  the 
services,  by  Mr.  Oliver  G.  Steele,  a  most  generous  and 
liberal-minded  gentleman,  who,  though  not  a  member  of 
the  church,  took  this  means  of  showing  his  desire  to 
encourage  the  progress  of  the  new  organization.  This 
Bible  was  in  use  for  many  years,  probably  up  to  the  time 
of  the  removal  to  the  new  church  on  Delaware  Avenue. 

Mr.  Hawks  had  become  a  beloved  as  well  as  valued 
rector,  while  Mrs.  Hawks,  who  was  spoken  of  by  her 
husband  as  a  "  delicate  flower,"  entered  as  much  into  the 
work  of  the  parish  as  ill  health  would  permit.  Mr. 
Hawks  was  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments,  social  attrac- 
tions, and  distinguished  personality.     He  was   born  at 


The  Beginning  of  Trinity  Church  5 

Newbern,  North  Carolina,  May  26th,  18 12,  and  was 
educated  at  Chapel  Hill.  Report  credited  him  with 
being  a  direct  descendant  of  the  Indian  princess  Poca- 
hontas. He  certainly  had  a  strong  Indian  face,  in  which 
mingled  with  the  aboriginal  blood  all  the  kindliness  and 
refinement  that  education  and  good  breeding  could  give. 
He  was  of  medium  stature,  and  slender  in  early  life,  and 
was  particularly  neat  in  dress  and  personal  appearance. 
He  preached  at  all  times  without  notes,  and  in  the  pulpit 
was  unsurpassed  in  eloquence.  He  was  a  faithful  rector 
and  a  Christian  gentleman. 

In  September,  1839,  the  congregation  of  Trinity 
Church  moved  into  the  Universalist  Church  on  Wash- 
ington Street,  between  South  Division  and  Swan  streets. 
This  was  a  frame  building  with  steeple  and  spire;  and 
its  own  congregation,  being  small  and  poor,  was  glad  to 
lease  it  to  Trinity.  Within  this  church  was  one  of  the 
old-fashioned  high  box  pulpits,  with  a  double  diverging 
stairway  curving  round  and  half  enclosing  the  platform 
beneath.  On  the  center  panel  of  the  pulpit,  which  was 
painted  blue  and  sanded,  was  inscribed  in  gold  letters, 
"  God  is  Love." 

The  music  committee  consisted  of  the  same  gentle- 
men who  had  served  the  year  before.  Miss  Louisa 
Huber,  a  young  German  musician,  was  engaged  as 
pianist,  and  Grandison  B.  Shelton  as  leader  of  the  choir. 
Mrs.  Shelton  sang  soprano.  While  services  were  held  in 
the  Universalist  church,  a  society  was  formed,  known  as 
"  The  Musical  Association  of  Trinity  Church,"  under 
the  same  committee,  pianist,  and  director;  but  musical 
affairs  received  little  attention  at  this  time,  owing  to  the 
absorbing  efforts  to  raise  money  for  a  church  building. 


6  History  of  Trinity  Church 

The  idea  of  building  a  permanent  abiding  place  for 
Trinity  Church  had  been  early  agitated.  An  old  paper 
has  been  found,  dated  May  ioth,  1838,  containing  a  list 
of  the  subscribers  to  the  building  fund,  as  follows: 

The  undersigned  agree  to  pay  to  Trinity  Parish,  Buffalo,  the 
sum  opposite  to  their  respective  names  upon  the  following  condi- 
tions : 

1st.  Any  individual  subscribing  any  sum  shall  pay  twenty  per 
cent,  in  Cash  at  the  time  of  subscription,  and  the  balance  in  notes  of 
Five,  Ten,  Fifteen,  and  Twenty  months  from  the  first  day  of  July 
next,  with  endorsements  satisfactory  to  the  Vestry. 

2d.  These  sums  subscribed  shall  not  be  expended  for  any 
other  purpose,  but  held  sacred  for  the  purpose  of  buying  a  suitable 
site  for  a  Church  Building,  and  placing  such  building  thereon. 

3d.  These  sums  shall  not  be  considered  as  given  save  when  it 
is  otherwise  ordered  by  the  subscriber,  but  as  money  loaned  and  to 
be  refunded  in  Pews,  in  such  manner,  and  under  such  restrictions, 
and  subject  to  the  payment  of  such  rents  and  charges,  as  the  War- 
dens and  Vestrymen  of  said  Church  may  direct,  whenever  the 
Church  Building  is  completed. 

Provided  always  and  in  every  case,  that  no  Individual  shall 
receive  from  the  Church  a  Deed  for  his  Pew  until  the  whole  amount 
of  his  subscription  has  been  paid. 

List  of  Subscribers 

Jerry  Radcliffe, $500 

Cyrus  Athearn 5°° 

R.  Nelson  Haydon 250 

Elisha  Kimberly, 250 

Rushmore  Poole, 250 

Dyre  Tillinghast, 400 

Robert  Hollister, 600 

Russell  H.  Heywood, 300 

James  A.  Cowing, 3°° 

Henry  Root  and  Peter  Curtis, 225 

Augustus  Kimball 225 


The  Beginning  of  Trinity  Church  7 

Hiram  P.  Thayer, 250 

Simeon  Fox, 400 

Rufus  C.  Palmer 3°° 

Morgan  K.  Faulkner, 3°° 

Luman  R.  Plimpton 3°° 

William  L.  G.  Smith, 300 

James  DeLong, 3°° 

Isaac  W.  Colie, 200 

Henry  W.  Rogers 200 

Lester  Brace, 250 

Sheldon  Thompson, 250 

George  W.  Clinton, 250 

Henry  M.  Kinne, 250 

PhiloDurfee, 250 

Nehemiah  Case, 250 

Of  these  names  that  of  Mr.  Dyre  Tillinghast  has 
been  brought  to  our  especial  notice  by  the  fact  that  a 
daughter  of  Dyre  and  Maria  Tillinghast  is  a  member  of 
our  present  congregation,  who  was  baptized  by  the 
Reverend  Mr.  Hawks.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tillinghast  were 
original  members  of  Saint  Paul's  parish,  and  Mr.  Tilling- 
hast wrote  the  first  letter  calling  Doctor  Shelton  to  Saint 
Paul's.  Doctor  Shelton,  however,  came  a  year  later,  on 
receiving  a  second  call.  They  joined  the  new  parish  as 
soon  as  it  was  formed,  and  were  valuable  and  interested 
members  of  Trinity  congregation. 

Whether  there  is  another  person  among  our  present 
members  who  has  the  same  record,  we  have  not  heard. 
Doubtless  there  are  many  descendants  of  those  baptized 
by  our  first  rector,  but  it  has  not  seemed  possible  to 
ascertain  the  facts  regarding  them. 

Mrs.  Katherine  Tillinghast  Buell  was  the  seventy- 
seventh  person  baptized  in  old  Trinity  by  the  Reverend 
Doctor  Hawks. 


8  History  of  Trinity  Church 

As  will  be  noticed,  some  of  these  subscribers  did  not 
belong  to  Trinity  Parish,  but  wished  to  assist  the  new 
and  struggling  church. 

It  was  a  struggle  indeed,  and  many  disappointments 
delayed  the  accomplishment  of  the  cherished  project. 
Just  as  the  subscription  list  was  completed  a  financial 
depression  was  felt  in  all  business  circles,  and  many  of 
the  subscribers  were  obliged  to  withdraw  their  names. 
The  site  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Mohawk  and  Wash- 
ington streets  was  secured,  however,  for  54,750;  plans 
were  drawn  and  the  foundation  was  begun. 

The  lease  of  the  Universalist  church  expired  in  May, 
1840,  and  a  communication  from  the  president  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  informed  the  vestry  of  Trinity  Church 
that  the  "  Trustees  of  the  First  Church  and  Society  of 
Universal  Restorationists  in  the  Town  of  Buffalo,"  were 
willing  to  extend  the  lease  to  May  1st,  1841,  for  the  sum 
of  $400.*  It  was  probably,  therefore,  in  the  spring  of 
1841  that  the  church  obtained  temporary  quarters  in  the 
rooms  of  the  Young  Men's  Association,  on  the  second 
floor  of  a  building  on  the  north  side  of  South  Division 
Street,  between  Main  and  Washington  streets;  and  it 
was  from  this  building  that  the  church  finally  moved  into 
its  own  place  of  worship. 

Mr.  Hawks  was  very  energetic  in  urging  the  comple- 
tion of  the  church  building,  the  work  of  which  was 
carried  on  intermittently.  He  frequently  sacrificed  his 
limited  salary  to  hasten  it,  and  eked  out  his  living  by 
writing  books  for  publication,  particularly  Sunday  school 
books,  which  he  prepared  with  great  ease.  The  music 
of  the  church  at  this  time  was  rendered  by  Miss  Louise 
Clark,  soprano,  Miss  Jane  Fitch,  alto,  Mr.  Frank  Pease, 


The  Beginning  of  Trinity  Church  9 

tenor,  and  Mr.  Rushmore  Poole,  with  Miss  Huber's  ac- 
companiment. 

The  new  church  edifice  was  finally  completed,  al- 
though, on  account  of  restricted  means,  the  original 
design  was  given  up,  and  a  simpler  one  substituted.  We 
find,  in  an  unpublished  article  by  Mr.  Deshler  Welch, 
that  Messrs.  James  J.  Culbertson  and  James  D.  Berry 
were  the  contractors,  and  that  it  was  estimated  that  the 
building  with  the  intended  tower  would  cost  $20,000. 
The  structure  as  finally  erected  was  classical  in  design, 
without  tower  or  spire.  The  front  entrance  was  never 
properly  finished,  and  should  have  had  a  Doric  portico, 
the  foundations  for  the  columns  having  been  prepared 
and  left  unused.  The  interior  had  no  chancel,  the  back 
wall  being  painted  to  represent  a  draped  window  outside 
of  which  clambered  the  semblance  of  creeping  vines. 
The  pulpit  was  of  the  usual  high  style.  When  the 
organ  —  the  source  of  so  much  excitement  and  pleasant 
anticipation  —  was  placed  in  the  gallery,  the  joy  of  the 
congregation  was  unbounded.  The  noble  instrument 
had  been  ordered  by  Mr.  Poole  according  to  instructions, 
and  was  shipped  from  New  York  via  the  New  York  & 
Buffalo  Lake  Boat  Line,  November  9th,  1842.  It  was 
made  by  Firth  &  Hall,  of  New  York,  under  the  personal 
supervision  of  their  foreman,  Mr.  Robjohn,  who  with  an 
assistant  came  from  New  York  to  put  it  in  place.  It  was 
the  first  organ,  made  by  this  firm,  to  be  sent  west  of 
Albany.  In  Mr.  Welch's  article  the  organ  case  is  de- 
scribed as  ten  feet  wide,  six  feet  nine  inches  deep,  and 
fourteen  and  a  half  feet  high.  It  contained  five  hundred 
and  twenty-five  pipes,  and  was  in  all  respects  a  most 
creditable  piece  of  work. 


i  o  History  of  Trinity  Church 

The  congregation  moved  into  the  new  building  the 
latter  part  of  December,  1842;  and  in  January,  1843, 
Mr.  Poole  reported  the  organ  as  ready  for  use.  Mr. 
Robert  Hollister  was  added  to  the  music  committee;  Mr. 
William  R.  Coppock  was  engaged  as  organist;  and  an  ap- 
propriation of  twenty-five  dollars  was  made  for  vocal  music 
for  the  coming  Easter,  and  a  like  amount  was  set  aside 
for  the  purchase  of  music  books  and  the  services  of  a 
"  blower  boy."  Miss  Clark,  afterwards  Mrs.  Ambrose  S. 
Sterling,  still  sang  soprano,  and  the  tenor  was  Ebenezer 
B.  Pewtress,  who  had  an  exquisite  voice,  and  had  already 
been  a  member  of  the  choir  for  some  months.  Thus  early 
in  its  history  Trinity  was  noted  for  its  good  music. 

The  church  was  formally  consecrated  by  Bishop 
De  Lancey,  January  19th,  1843.  The  original  sentence 
of  consecration  reads  as  follows: 

Whereas  the  Rector,  Church  Wardens,  and  Vestrymen  of 
Trinity  Church,  in  the  City  of  Buffalo,  County  of  Erie,  State  of 
New  York,  and  Diocese  of  Western  New  York,  have,  by  an  instru- 
ment this  day  presented  to  me,  appropriated  and  given  a  house  of 
worship  erected  by  them  in  said  City  of  Buffalo  to  the  worship  and 
service  of  Almighty  God  according  to  the  ministry,  doctrines,  lit- 
urgy, rites,  and  usages  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the 
United  States  of  America  ;  have  placed  the  same  under  my  spiritual 
jurisdiction  and  that  of  my  successors  in  office ;  and  have  requested 
me  to  consecrate  it  by  the  name  of  Trinity  Church  : 

Now,  therefore,  be  it  known  that  I,  William  Heathcote  De- 
Lancey,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Western  New  York,  having  taken 
the  said  house  of  worship  under  my  spiritual  jurisdiction,  and  that 
of  my  successors  in  office,  did,  on  this  nineteenth  day  of  January,  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty-three, 
under  the  protection  of  Almighty  God  and  in  the  presence  of  divers 
of  the  clergy  and  of  a  public  congregation  there  assembled,  conse- 
crate the  same  to  the  worship  and  service  of  Almighty  God,  the 
Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  the  name  of  Trinity  Church. 


The  Beginning  of  Trinity  Church  1 1 

And  I  do  by  these  presents  declare  the  said  Trinity  Church  to 
be  consecrated  accordingly,  and  thereby  separated  thenceforth 
from  all  unhallowed,  worldly,  and  common  uses,  and  set  apart  and 
dedicated  to  the  service  of  Almighty  God,  for  reading  and  preaching 
His  Holy  Word,  for  celebrating  His  Holy  Sacraments,  for  offering 
to  His  glorious  Majesty  the  sacrifices  of  prayer,  thanksgiving,  and 
praise,  for  blessing  the  people  in  His  name,  and  for  the  perform- 
ance of  all  other  holy  offices  according  to  the  terms  of  His  Covenant 
of  grace  and  mercy  in  His  Son,  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ, 
and  according  to  the  ministry,  doctrines,  liturgy,  and  usages  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America. 

In  Testimony  Whereof,  I  have  hereunto  affixed  my  hand  and 
seal,  in  the  City  of  Buffalo,  the  day  and  year  above  written,  and  the 
fourth  year  of  my  consecration. 

Signed, 

WILLIAM  HEATHCOTE  De  LANCEY, 

Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Western  New  York. 
[seal] 

Although  Trinity  Parish  was  now  finally  settled  in  a 
home  of  its  own,  its  financial  hardships  were  not  all 
over,  and  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society  determined  to  raise 
the  money  for  the  first  payment  on  the  organ  by  holding 
a  fair.  This  society  was  accustomed  to  meet  periodically 
at  the  houses  of  the  different  members  to  do  plain  and 
fancy  sewing.  Early  on  the  day  of  meeting,  a  clothes- 
basket  would  arrive,  filled  with  aprons  and  other  articles 
already  cut  out  and  ready  for  sewing.  Among  the 
ladies  prominent  in  the  society  were  Mrs.  Thomas  Per- 
kins, Mrs.  Cyrenius  C.  Bristol,  Mrs.  Gibson  T.  Williams, 
Mrs.  Rushmore  Poole,  Mrs.  Robert  Hollister,  Mrs.  Cyrus 
Athearn,  Mrs.  Charles  Winne,  Mrs.  Hawks,  Mrs.  Am- 
brose S.  Sterling,  Miss  Mary  Radcliffe  (afterwards  Mrs. 
William  Laverack),  Miss  Howard  (afterwards  Mrs.  John 
M.  Hutchinson),  and  Miss  Irish  (afterwards  Mrs.  James 


1 2  History  of  Trinity  Church 

McCredie,  junior).  Mrs.  Hollister  and  Mrs.  Winne  were 
experts  in  practical  and  fine  needlework,  and  Mrs.  Ath- 
earn  did  all  the  fancy  work  and  embroidery  for  the  fair. 
While  the  society  worked,  and  the  delicate  and  beautiful 
white  satin  handkerchief  cases  were  fashioned  (several  of 
which  are  still  in  existence),  Mrs.  Hawks  read  to  the 
ladies,  and  helped  to  while  the  hours  away. 

The  fair  was  held  in  the  autumn  of  1843  in  the  old 
United  States  Bank  building,  at  the  northeast  corner  of 
Main  and  South  Division  streets,  and  netted  the  sum  of 
nine  hundred  dollars,  which  was  used  for  the  first  pay- 
ment on  the  organ.  At  the  fair  was  exhibited  a  model  of 
the  church  building  as  originally  designed,  the  work  of 
Mr.  Frank  Pease. 

At  Easter,  1843,  Mr.  Coppock  was  reengaged  as 
organist,  and  an  appropriation  of  one  hundred  dollars 
was  made  for  vocal  music  for  the  year.  Mr.  Hawks 
kept  up  his  reputation  as  a  scholar  of  distinguished 
ability,  and  his  first  sermon  was  remembered  with  so 
much  pleasure  that  he  was  requested  to  repeat  it.  An- 
other sermon  spoken  of  as  being  particularly  able  was 
on  the  subject  of  the  last  days  and  death  of  Moses.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hawks  lived  on  Mohawk  Street,  and  also 
boarded  for  a  time  on  Eagle  Street,  and  frequently  dis- 
pensed informal  and  charming  hospitality. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  early  date  of  this  history,  it 
may  perhaps  be  permitted  to  give  an  anecdote  of  the 
time.  Mrs.  Hawks  said  to  a  friend  and  neighbor,  one  of 
the  early  aristocrats  of  Buffalo,  "  Do  you  think  I  might 
venture  to -wear  a  white  rose  on  my  bonnet?"  "Of 
course,  my  dear,  put  it  on ;  you  are  young  and  pretty, 
and  it  is  the  time  for  roses."     After  the  rose  appeared  in 


The  Beginning  of  Trinity  Church  1 3 

church  Mrs.  Hawks  received  several  anonymous  notes, 
of  which  history  does  not  give  the  purport.  But  we  can 
imagine  it  might  have  been  in  the  words  of  a  modern 
novelist:  "We  stick  by  the  ways  of  the  Discipline  and 
the  ways  of  our  fathers  in  Israel.  No  newfangled  notions 
down  here.  Your  wife  'd  better  take  them  flowers  out  of 
her  bunnit  afore  next  Sunday." 

As  is  generally  known,  Mr.  Hawks  subsequently 
became  bishop  of  Missouri,  and  his  congregation  sus- 
tained a  great  loss  when  he  left  Trinity  Church.  He 
thus  expressed  his  own  sorrow  at  leaving,  in  a  letter  to 
the  wardens  and  vestrymen,  dated  October  28th,  1843: 

Gentlemen : 

Herewith  I  present  to  you  my  resignation  of  the  rectorship  ot 
Trinity  Church, — said  resignation  to  take  effect  on  the  first  day  of 
December. 

God  knows  with  what  sorrow,  after  mature  deliberation,  I  do 
this  —  nor  could  it  be  done  but  from  constraining  thoughts  of  duty. 
I  have  been  too  intimately  associated  with  your  parish  from  its  com- 
mencement, not  to  feel  more  than  ordinary  pain  and  anxiety  as  I 
take  this  step.  But  another  field  of  labor  presents  itself  before  me, 
and  the  call  to  that  field  is  for  many  reasons  almost  imperious  with 
me.     1  consider  that  I  have  no  right  to  turn  aside  from  it. 

At  such  a  moment  the  recollection  of  past  struggles  and  past 
kindnesses  swell  upon  my  heart,  and  I  can  say  nothing.  I  ask 
your  prayers  wherever  I  may  be  (for  no  man  knows  what  trials  may 
be  before  me),  and  in  return  I  shall  never  cease  to  pray  that  God's 
blessing  may  be  upon  your  parish  and  upon  each  of  you  individ- 
ually. May  God's  grace  rest  upon  you  all,  through  Jesus  Christ,  our 
Lord. 

Yours  in  all  Truth, 

C.  S.  HAWKS. 

With  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Hawks,  we  reach  the 
close  of  the  first  epoch  in  the  history  of  Trinity  Church. 
It  is  interesting  to  follow  it  step  by  step  through  its  or- 


1 4  History  of  Trinity  Church 

ganization,  early  struggles,  and  final  success  in  establish- 
ing a  permanent  home  for  itself.  The  personality  of  its 
congregation  furnishes  no  less  interesting  reminiscences; 
but  as  that  period  has  passed  away  almost  into  oblivion, 
leaving  shadows  of  bygone  regret  in  the  minds  of  those 
who  still  remember,  so,  too,  it  saddens  us  to  realize  that 
of  the  well-known  names  and  prominent  supporters  of 
old  Trinity  only  a  few  are  remaining  today.  It  is  with 
heartfelt  and  sympathetic  pleasure  that  the  above  recol- 
lections and  account  of  early  Trinity  Parish  have  been 
put  into  form  by  the  granddaughter  of  two  of  the  most 
earnest  workers  in  the  old  church. 


William   Heathcote  De  Lancey 


Bishop  De  Lancey 

FIFTY-NINE  years  ago  Western  New  York  gave  to 
the  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States  the 
first  example  of  a  new  see  erected  from  an  older 
one.  The  first  bishop  of  the  new  diocese  was  William 
Heathcote  De  Lancey,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  D.  C.  L.  (Oxon.),  the 
descendant  of  an  ancient  Huguenot  family,  who  was  born 
at  Mamaroneck,  Westchester  County,  October  8th,  1797. 

He  was  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1817,  and,  after 
studying  theology  with  Bishop  Hobart,  became  in  1822 
the  personal  assistant  of  the  venerable  Bishop  White,  of 
Philadelphia,  in  the  three  churches  —  Saint  Peter's,  Saint 
James's,  and  Christ  Church  —  of  which  that  prelate  was 
the  rector.  In  the  succeeding  year  he  was  elected  one  of 
the  regular  assistant  ministers  of  those  churches. 

Upon  the  reorganization  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania in  1828,  he  was  chosen  provost  of  that  institution, 
and  thereupon  resigned  his  pastoral  charge.  He  re- 
mained provost  for  five  years,  and  then  resumed  the 
office  of  assistant  minister  of  Saint  Peter's  Church,  Phil- 
adelphia. He  traveled  in  Europe  in  1835,  and  on  his 
return,  after  the  death  of  Bishop  White,  succeeded  to  the 
rectorship  of  Saint  Peter's. 

In  1838  the  diocese  of  New  York,  comprising  the 
whole  state,  was  divided,  the  eastern  portion  retaining 
the  old  name;  and  at  the  primary  convention  of  the  new 
diocese,  held  in  Geneva,  Doctor  De  Lancey  was  chosen 
its  first  bishop. 

15 


1 6  History  of  Trinity  Church 

He  was  consecrated  May  9th,  1839,  at  Saint  Peter's 
Church,  Auburn,  and  then  removed  to  Geneva,  the  seat 
of  the  diocesan  college,  now  called  Hobart  College.  To 
his  efficient  efforts  it  was  chiefly  indebted  for  its  support. 

He  very  soon  instituted  a  system  of  diocesan  missions 
by  which  a  corps  of  laborers,  unusually  large  in  propor- 
tion to  the  wealth  and  population  of  the  diocese,  were 
sustained  without  incurring  debt. 

In  1840,  by  his  recommendation,  a  fund  for  the  relief 
of  infirm  and  aged  clergy  of  the  diocese  was  established, 
which,  besides  accomplishing  its  object,  became  a  perma- 
nent fund  of  about  ten  thousand  dollars. 

In  1852  Bishop  De  Lancey,  with  the  bishop  of 
Michigan,  visited  England  as  a  delegation  from  the  bish- 
ops of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United 
States  to  the  venerable  "  Society  for  the  Propagation  of 
the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts."  The  delegation  was 
received  everywhere  with  the  highest  consideration  and 
respect.  During  this  visit,  on  the  twenty-third  of  June, 
he  received,  together  with  his  coadjutor,  Bishop  McCos- 
kry,  and  the  late  Bishop  Wainwright,  then  a  presbyter, 
the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Civil  Law  from  the 
University  of  Oxford. 

Bishop  De  Lancey  continued  in  the  active  adminis- 
tration of  his  diocese  until  the  spring  of  1864,  when  he 
was  obliged  to  yield  to  the  encroachments  of  a  mortal 
disease.  At  the  annual  convention  of  his  diocese,  August 
17th,  the  last  one  over  which  he  was  ever  to  preside,  he 
asked  for  the  election  of  an  assistant  bishop  who  should 
also  be  his  successor.  The  request  was  complied  with, 
and  the  Reverend  Arthur  Cleveland  Coxe,  D.  D.,  was 
duly  chosen  for  the  office.     The  consecration  of  Bishop 


Bishop  De  Lancey  1 7 

Coxe  in  Trinity  Church,  Geneva,  on  the  fourth  of  Jan- 
uary, 1865,  was  the  last  public  official  act  of  Bishop 
De  Lancey.  He  died  in  the  peace  of  God  on  the  fifth 
day  of  the  ensuing  April. 

During  the  twenty-five  years  of  his  episcopate  he 
ordained  one  hundred  and  forty-five  deacons  and  one 
hundred  and  sixty  priests,  consecrated  one  hundred 
church  edifices,  and  admitted  to  the  communion  of  the 
church  by  the  rite  of  confirmation  twenty  thousand  and 
forty-eight  persons. 

We  append  to  this  bare  outline  of  the  life  of  our  first 
bishop  a  few  paragraphs  from  tributes  of  respect  written 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  speak  of  the  character 
and  tell  of  the  esteem  felt  by  all  who  knew  "  the  great 
De  Lancey,"  as  Bishop  Doane  calls  him  in  the  recent 
commemorative  sermon  of  our  late  beloved  Bishop  Coxe. 

From  the  tribute  paid  by  the  clergy  of  his  diocese  we 
quote  the  following: 

In  Bishop  De  Lancey  we  have  beheld  a  most  symmetrical  and 
harmonious  character,  gifts  of  a  high  order,  good  learning,  sound- 
ness of  faith,  purity  of  life,  earnestness  of  purpose,  ardent  affections, 
an  unbending  will  always  set  to  do  the  right  whether  men  applauded 
or  censured,  a  conscience  active  to  every  call  of  duty,  whether  per- 
sonal or  official ;  extraordinary  devotion  to  the  interests  of  his  dio- 
cese ;  a  tender  regard  for  his  clergy,  and  an  earnest  desire  in  every 
way  to  promote  both  their  usefulness  and  their  happiness. 

Nor  can  we  fail  to  remember,  with  devout  gratitude  to  the 
Giver  of  every  good  and  perfect  gift,  his  thorough  knowledge  and 
sound  judgment  in  matters  of  business;  his  extraordinary  adminis- 
trative capacity,  evinced  in  the  creation  and  management  of  the 
various  trusts  and  charities  of  his  diocese,  especially  in  the  mission- 
ary system  of  the  same,  originated  in  the  beginning  of  his  episcopate 
and  carried  on  to  the  present  time,  with  singular  energy  and  suc- 
cess, and  with  a  punctuality  and  thoroughness  in  its  operations 

b 


1 8  History  of  Trinity  Church 

which  have  elicited  approval  and  admiration  far  beyond  our  limits 
—  a  system  which  has  always  been  quickened  by  the  glow  of  Bishop 
De  Lancey's  own  life  and  love. 

We  desire  also  to  bear  in  grateful  remembrance  his  strenuous 
efforts  to  advance  the  interests  of  Learning  as  the  handmaid  of 
Religion.  Having  presided  with  distinguished  ability  over  one  of 
the  oldest  universities  while  still  a  young  man,  he  early  acquired  a 
strong  sympathy  with  the  cause  of  liberal  education.  Hobart  Col- 
lege has  been  largely  indebted  to  his  generous  benefactions,  wise 
counsel,  watchful  care,  and  active  efforts  to  secure  its  stability  and 
prosperity,  while  the  Diocesan  Training  School,  which  owes  its 
existence  to  him,  must  stand  forever  as  a  monument  of  his  en- 
lightened devotion  to  the  noble  work  of  qualifying  men  by  faithful 
instruction  in  sound  doctrine,  for  the  office  of  the  holy  ministry. 

But  Bishop  De  Lancey's  labors  and  solicitudes  have  not  been 
confined  to  his  own  diocese.  On  the  contrary,  he  has  ever  taken  a 
deep  and  active  interest  in  the  general  institutions  and  affairs  of  our 
branch  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  in  the  highest  council  thereof 
his  absence  will  be  painfully  felt.  His  long  experience,  practical 
wisdom,  thorough  knowledge  both  of  the  principles  and  forms  of 
ecclesiastical  legislation,  his  fearless  advocacy  of  the  measures 
which  his  judgment  approved,  and  the  force  of  reason  as  well  as 
weight  of  character  and  personal  influence  which  he  could  bring  to 
their  support,  gave  a  high  value  to  his  conclusions,  and  rendered 
him  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  House  of  Bishops. 

Nor  would  our  tribute  be  even  tolerably  complete  should  we 
fail  to  make  grateful  mention  of  those  deeds  and  qualities  which 
have  endeared  him  to  so  many  of  his  countrymen  ;  that  readiness 
to  sacrifice  himself  and  his  convenience  and  comfort  to  the  needs 
of  others ;  that  dignity  and  courtesy  which  were  the  charm  of  his 
social  intercourse  ;  and  that  thoughtful  consideration  of  all  sorts  and 
conditions  of  men  which  made  him  universally  respected  and  be- 
loved, and  enabled  him  to  present  a  beautiful  example  of  what  is 
most  desirable  in  an  American  bishop. 

At  the  semicentennial  commemoration  of  the  found- 
ing of  the  diocese  of  Western  New  York,  the  Reverend 
Charles  W.  Hayes,  D.  D.,  spoke  of  Bishop  De  Lancey  as 
the  pupil  of  both  Bishop  White  and  Bishop  Hobart,  with 


Bishop  De  Lancey  19 

the  prudence  and  gentle  firmness  of  the  one,  and  the 
energy  and  fearlessness  of  the  other.  He  said  that  Bishop 
De  Lancey's  first  great  work  was  to  build  up  the  system 
of  diocesan  missions  inaugurated  in  1796,  the  only  means 
of  supporting  missionary  work  within  its  own  borders 
that  Western  New  York  has  ever  known.  Doctor  Hayes 
also  says: 

How  deeply  the  Bishop  felt  the  importance  of  this  work,  how 
carefully  all  its  details  were  studied  by  him,  how  the  conditions, 
wants,  prospects,  and  trials  of  each  mission  and  missionary  were 
always  borne  upon  his  mind  and  heart,  none  of  you  who  knew  him 
personally  can  forget.  How  he  would  labor  to  build  up  the  church 
in  this  or  that  feeble  or  almost  desert  place,  not  only  by  visits  and 
correspondence,  but  by  large  contributions  from  his  own  small 
means ! 

Owing  to  Bishop  De  Lancey's  wise  and  loving  guid- 
ance, and  to  the  unity  prevailing  in  the  diocese,  Western 
New  York,  with  its  system  and  order,  was  known  through- 
out the  church  as  "  the  model  diocese." 

There  are  few  left  in  Trinity  Church  today  who  knew 
and  loved  Bishop  De  Lancey,  but  we  find  among  the 
records  the  following  resolutions,  offered  by  the  rector 
and  vestry  of  Trinity  Church  of  thirty-two  years  ago : 

Trinity  Church,  Buffalo.  At  a  special  meeting  of  the  vestry 
of  Trinity  Church  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  convened  on  the  sixth  day 
of  April,  A.  D.  1865,  by  reason  of  the  death  of  our  beloved  and 
venerated  Father  in  God,  the  Right  Reverend  William  Heathcote 
De  Lancey,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  D.  C.L.,  the  following  resolutions,  offered 
by  Mr.  Henry  VV.  Rogers,  were  unanimously  adopted. 

"  Resolved  :  That  in  the  death  of  our  deeply  lamented  dioc- 
esan we  mourn  the  loss  of  a  pure  and  devoted  Christian  bishop, 
who  has  exemplified  the  highest  qualities  of  the  Christian  character, 
in  doctrine  showing  uncorruptness,  gravity,  sincerity,  sound  speech, 


20  History  of  Trinity  Church 

that  could  not  be  condemned  ;  a  pattern  of  good  works,  looking 
for  that  blessed  hope,  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God  and 
our  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ. 

"Resolved  :  That  we  shall  ever  hold  in  the  most  grateful  and 
respectful  remembrance  his  truly  Christian  and  apostolic  character, 
and  eminent  services.  Wise  and  judicious  in  his  administration, 
firm  and  consistent  in  his  advocacy  of  the  principles  of  the  church, 
and  unwearied  in  his  exertions  to  promote  its  best  interests,  his 
labors  have  been  blessed  in  a  united  and  harmonious  diocese,  and 
in  the  steady  advancement  of  the  great  interests  of  our  holy 
religion. 

"  Resolved  :  That  in  further  testimony  of  our  high  respect  for 
the  memory  of  our  late  Bishop,  this  vestry  do  appoint  delegates 
from  this  parish  to  attend  his  funeral." 

Whereupon  the  following  named  gentlemen  were  duly  ap- 
pointed ;  viz.:  the  Reverend  Doctor  Ingersoll  (the  rector),  Henry 
W.  Rogers,  Robert  Hollister,  James  M.  Smith,  James  McCredie, 
William  Laverack,  Benjamin  F.  Smith,  Thomas  G.  Perkins,  Frank 
W.  Fiske,  William  B.  Peck,  and  Calvin  N.  Otis. 

It  was  also  further 

"Resolved  :  That  Trinity  Church  be  draped  in  mourning,  and 
that  the  respectful  and  affectionate  condolence  of  the  vestry  be 
tendered  to  the  afflicted  family  of  the  deceased,  and  a  certified 
copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  them,  and  that  the  same  be 
published  in  The  Gospel  Messenger. 

EDWARD  INGERSOLL,  Rector. 

James  McCredie,  Clerk  pro  tern. 


Edward  Ingersoll 
1844 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll 

1844-1874 

OUR  first  rector,  the  Reverend  Doctor  Hawks,  was 
worthily  succeeded  by  the  Reverend  Edward 
Ingersoll,  D.  D.  Descended  from  a  family 
which  had  been  famous  in  the  social  and  political  history 
of  Connecticut  for  two  hundred  years,  and  which  has 
proved  its  eminence  up  to  the  present  day,  his  gifts  of 
diction  and  his  eloquence  in  the  pulpit  were  a  natural 
inheritance.  He  was  born  in  New  Haven,  Connecticut, 
November  26th,  18 10;  was  graduated  from  Yale  in  1831 ; 
was  married  in  New  Haven  in  1836  to  Catherine  Frances 
Seymour,  daughter  of  an  old  Southern  family. 

Perhaps  here  it  may  be  proper  to  notice  the  coinci- 
dence that  of  the  four  rectors  of  Trinity  up  to  the  present 
date,  the  wife  of  each  has  been  a  Southern  woman.  Doc- 
tor Hawks  himself  was  a  North  Carolinian  by  birth  and 
descent.  The  other  three  were  men  of  Northern  birth, 
and  all  were  heart  and  soul  on  the  side  of  the  Union  at 
the  time  of  the  Civil  War.  In  Bishop  Hawks's  case  this 
was  quite  a  perilous  position.  Doctor  Van  Bokkelen 
was  obliged  to  break  up  his  school  in  Maryland  at  that 
time  and  leave  the  state  on  account  of  his  Northern 
sympathies. 

Most  of  Doctor  Ingersoll's  immediate  family,  and 
several  nephews,  were  distinguished  men.  One  nephew 
was  governor  of  Connecticut,  and  afterward  at  the  head 


2  2  History  of  Trinity  Church 

of  its  bar.  His  sister,  who  was  called  the  most  beautiful 
woman  in  America,  married  the  ambassador  from  France 
in  the  days  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  His  eldest  brother, 
Ralph,  was  senator  from  Connecticut,  and  subsequently 
minister  to  Russia.  One  of  his  ancestors  was  royal 
judge  of  the  High  Court  of  Admiralty  before  the  Revo- 
lution. His  brother  Charles  was  judge  of  the  United 
States  district  court.  (This  genealogical  record  is  given 
for  the  pleasure  of  his  old  friends,  as  well  as  his  many 
descendants  who  are  still  residents  of  Buffalo.) 

Doctor  Ingersoll's  first  parish  was  at  Meriden,  Con- 
necticut. Thence  he  went  to  Westport,  Connecticut ; 
then  to  Troy,  New  York;  later  taking  charge  of  Saint 
Michael's  Parish,  Geneseo,  New  York.  It  was  during 
his  rectorate  at  this  latter  parish,  that,  the  Reverend 
Doctor  Hawks  having  been  elected  to  the  bishopric  of 
Missouri,  the  vestry  of  Trinity  unanimously  elected 
Doctor  Ingersoll  as  his  successor.  Bishop  De  Lancey 
addressed  James  M.  Smith,  then  clerk  of  the  vestry,  on 
this  subject  as  follows: 

The  painful  intelligence  of  the  vacancy  in  your  parish,  occa- 
sioned by  the  removal  of  Mr.  Hawks,  I  receive  with  deep  regret. 

The  choice  of  a  successor  could  not  have  fallen  on  an  individ- 
ual more  acceptable  to  myself  than  Mr.  Ingersoll,  whose  qualifica- 
tions for  the  position  are  of  the  highest  order. 

Doctor  Ingersoll  accepted  this  call,  subject  to  an 
interval  of  three  months,  when  the  Reverend  David  M. 
Fackler,  of  Philadelphia,  officiated ;  and,  as  the  dates  of 
our  heading  show,  our  city  and  our  parish  were  blessed 
by  his  presence  and  ministrations  for  more  than  thirty 
years. 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  2  3 

Doctor  Ingersoll's  reading  of  the  ritual  was  unsur- 
passed in  fervor  and  beauty  of  expression,  and  many  are 
the  tributes  we  have  read  which  bear  witness  to  his 
power  thus  to  move  the  hearts  of  men. 

To  quote  from  "  Recollections  of  Buffalo  " : 

Doctor  Ingersoll  was  a  man  of  high  intellectual  attainments, 
purity  and  guilelessness  of  character,  whose  heart  was  filled  with 
charity  and  benevolence.  He  was  dearly  beloved  and  venerated  by 
those  who  sat  under  his  teachings.  I  have  heard  him  read  the  bap- 
tismal service  and  the  ritual  for  the  dead  when  he  seemed  like  one 
inspired,  his  beautiful  dark  eyes  glistening  with  angelic  beauty,  and 
his  utterances  thrilling  the  hearts  of  those  who  listened  to  him. 

From  another  source  we  quote  the  following  para- 
graphs : 

He  was  a  man  whose  long  service  and  self-sacrifice  in  behalf  of 
the  church  have  won  for  him  a  name  such  as  it  has  been  the  fortune 
of  but  few  clergymen  to  achieve. 

Wherever  Doctor  Ingersoll  went,  blessings  went  with  him. 
His  work  was  enthusiastic ;  his  heart  and  soul  were  in  it,  and  no 
labor  was  too  severe  if  only  the  desired  results  could  be  attained. 
Socially,  his  deep  learning  and  courteous  manners  made  him  a 
universal  favorite.  His  loss,  in  all  the  circles  in  which  he  moved, 
will  be  irreparable. 

He  was  an  advanced  churchman  for  his  day,  not  only 
in  the  reverence  of  his  voice  and  manner  in  reading  the 
service,  but  in  the  observance  of  certain  forms  with  which 
he  marked  passages  in  the  creed  and  litany.  His  reading 
was  an  inspiration  to  all  who  heard  it.  The  holy  days 
were  observed  with  exactness  and  solemnity.  On  As- 
cension Day  he  was  wont  to  place  slips  in  the  pews, 
reminding  his  people  of  the  duty  of  a  proper  observance 
of  the  day  and  the  benefit  to  be  derived  therefrom.     It 


24  History  of  Trinity  Church 

seems  quite  appropriate  to  quote  here  a  few  suggestions 
on  this  subject  from  Bishop  Coxe's  "  Thoughts  on  the 
Service." 

This  day  concludes  the  glorious  circuit  through  which  the  Sun 
of  Righteousness  has  run  His  course.  He  who  was  God  from  the 
beginning  was  with  Him  in  His  divine  nature  even  while  He 
walked  on  earth  and  descended  into  Hades  ;  but  now  His  human 
nature  is  exalted  to  the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  and  we  see  our 
own  nature  in  Him,  advanced  to  the  glory  which  is  the  common 
destiny  of  the  redeemed  ;  for  He  "  is  not  ashamed  to  call  us  breth- 
ren," and  we  are  "  made  to  sit  with  Him  in  heavenly  places."  Al- 
ready, the  church,  like  the  lark,  seems  to  take  the  wings  of  the 
morning,  and  to  sing  at  the  very  gate  of  heaven  her  exulting  hope 
"that  where  He  is,  thither  we  shall  also  ascend,  and  reign  with 
Him  in  glory."  There  is  nothing  which  can  enter  the  mind  of  man 
so  entirely  beyond  all  that  man  imagines  by  his  own  powers,  and  so 
ennobling  to  his  nature,  as  the  truth  which  this  day  celebrates. 
Poor  sinners  that  we  are,— poor  dying  worms,  can  it  be  that  we  are 
heirs  of  immortal  glory,  and  that  the  way  into  the  heaven  of  heavens 
stands  wide  open,  so  that,  in  body  and  soul,  we  may  follow  the  Son 
of  God,  and  be  welcomed  by  Him  as  brethren  and  partakers  of  His 
throne  ? 

To  the  Sunday  school  children  Doctor  Ingersoll's 
visits  were  a  joy  and  delight,  each  class  with  their  teacher 
rising  to  greet  him  as  he  made  his  rounds  among  them. 
The  favored  one  on  whom  his  hand  chanced  to  rest, 
while  he  was  speaking  to  them,  felt  its  slight  pressure  as 
a  benediction  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  On  Easter  Day 
he  would  enter  the  Sunday  school  saying,  "  Christ  has 
risen,"  with  such  enthusiasm  and  rejoicing,  that  it  had 
the  effect  of  the  native  Russian  greeting,  so  joyous  and 
universal  in  that  country. 

His  sermons  were  strong  on  all  doctrinal  points,  and 
finished  and  classical  in  diction.  Add  to  this  a  com- 
manding and  singularly  handsome  presence,  and  it  will 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  2  5 

not  seem  strange  that  for  years  he  was  one  of  the  most 
striking  figures  in  our  Buffalo  pulpits. 

Mr.  James  M.  Smith,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  was  clerk 
of  the  vestry  at  the  time  of  Doctor  Ingersoll's  call  to  the 
rectorship,  remained  his  lifelong  and  devoted  friend,  sus- 
taining and  comforting  the  beloved  rector  under  his  many 
trials,  and  on  all  occasions  upholding  his  example  with  zeal 
and  devotion.  He  perpetuated  this  love  and  veneration 
by  contributing  generously  to  the  fund  for  the  erection 
of  the  memorial  window  in  the  chancel  of  the  new  Trinity, 
and  to  the  building  of  the  Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd, 
both  of  which  are  memorials  to  Doctor  Ingersoll.  The 
monument  in  Forest  Lawn  is  also  a  tribute  from  personal 
friends,  many  of  whom  were  not  members  of  Trinity 
Church.  Mrs.  James  M.  Smith  was  a  most  lovely  and 
attractive  woman,  with  a  heart  which  always  responded 
to  the  calls  of  friendship  and  charity.  The  beautiful 
window  and  statuary  which  have  been  placed  in  the 
memorial  chapel  in  her  memory  but  give  expression  to 
the  record  of  her  whole  life. 

Mr.  S.  V.  R.  Watson  was  conspicuous  in  the  history 
of  Buffalo  for  his  public  spirit  and  energy  in  planning 
various  valuable  institutions  for  the  future  benefit  of  the 
city.  In  fact,  his  ideas  seemed,  in  some  respects,  ahead 
of  his  time,  and  perhaps  even  he  builded  better  than  he 
knew  when  he  pushed  the  interests  of  the  public  library 
and  laid  the  numerous  street  railroads  which  connected 
the  almost  unimproved  property  with  that  closely  settled. 

The  existence  of  Trinity  Church  from  1837  to  1897 
keeps  pace  with  the  Victorian  era,  which  we  are  now 
celebrating.  In  church  architecture,  as  well  as  in  our 
social  life,  the  progress  of  taste  is  made  strikingly  mani- 


26  History  of  Trinity  Church 

fest;  and  the  fundamental  principles  of  decorative  art 
which  sixty  years  ago  were  forgotten,  or  at  least  rarely 
practiced,  are  now  universally  observed.  People  are  in  a 
wider  sense  than  ever  before  "  the  heirs  of  all  the  ages," 
and  the  glories  of  the  past  and  the  stately  elegance  of 
Queen  Anne's  and  Queen  Elizabeth's  times  are  now  ap- 
propriately used  in  modern  buildings  and  decorations. 
In  1837  these  principles  were  regarded  with  indifference 
by  our  grandfathers;  and  we  will  therefore  forgive  the 
architects  and  builders  of  our  first  edifice  for  its  singular 
design.  In  its  attempt  to  follow  a  classical  model,  the 
oblong  hall  was  spoken  of  as  very  "  chaste  and  beautiful." 
It  had  one  valuable  peculiarity  in  which  modern  churches 
often  fail  —  its  acoustic  properties  were  perfect.  We  who 
recall  the  slippery  haircloth  seats  and  narrow  pews,  the 
simple  chancel  with  its  great  guardian  pillars,  the  mot- 
toes on  the  wall,  the  faded  upholstery,  with  the  plain 
organ  gallery  at  the  end  of  the  nave,  may  well  wonder  at 
the  popularity  of  the  building,  and  the  love  its  people 
bore  it.  But  there  were  times  when  even  the  plain 
interior  was  a  bower  of  beauty.  At  Christmas  the 
wreaths  were  twined  by  the  women  of  the  church, 
and  young  men  and  maidens  met  in  the  basement  for 
work,  as  well  as  social  enjoyment.  It  was  often  hung 
with  heavy  wreaths  looped  from  corner  to  corner,  and 
the  windows  were  festooned  as  with  evergreen  hangings, 
the  natural  pine  trees  filling  in  spaces  which  made  the 
church  for  the  time  a  veritable  cathedral  of  Nature's  own 
designing.  At  Easter,  the  altar  was  a  bank  of  flowers  ; 
large  balls  of  brilliant  colors  hung  from  the  chandeliers, 
and  each  window  was  a  miniature  conservatory  of  grow- 
ing plants. 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll 


27 


In  the  dense  crowd  which  filled  the  church  on  the 
great  festivals  were  beautiful  women  and  brave  men, 
whose  faces,  alas !  are  seen  no  more,  but  whose  memory 
still  lingers  with  us.  There  were  more  men  as  regular 
attendants  in  those  days  than  now,  and  the  responses 
came  full  and  deep  from  pews  which  now  are  silent.  To 
repeat  the  list  of  names  would  be  almost  to  rewrite  the 
early  directory  of  Buffalo,  but  we  venture  to  attempt  a 
list  of  the  early  pew  holders. 


Pew  Holders  —  April,  1847 


Charles  R.  Gold, 

Curtiss  L.  Brace, 

Henry  W.  Rogers  and  James  M. 
Smith, 

Aaron  D.  Patchin, 

Sheldon  Thompson, 

James  B.  Dubois, 

Hiram  P.  Thayer, 

Orrin  B.  Titus  and  Judson  Har- 
mon, 

Elisha  A.  Maynard, 

William  Williams, 

John  Shepard, 

Gibson  T.  Williams  and  George 
L.  Newman, 

John  Dodge, 

Woolsey  W.  Radcliff, 

William  A.  Sutton, 

Charles  H.  S.  Williams, 

Captain  William  Dickson, 

Cyrus  P.  Lee, 

William  R.  Vickory, 

Thomas  Kilderhouse, 

John  L.  Talcott, 

David  S.  Battey, 


James  Radcliff, 
William  L.  G.  Smith, 
Robert  Hollister, 
Rufus  C.  Palmer, 
F.  W.  Newbould, 
Henry  M.  Kinne, 
Elam  R.  Jewett, 
Jacob  S.  Miller, 
Ambrose  S.  Sterling, 
Nehemiah  Case, 
Cyrenius  C.  Bristol, 
James  C.  Evans, 
William  Woodruff, 
John  Cook, 
Eli  Cook, 

Frederick  Shadrake, 
Doctor  Walter  Cary, 
George  W.  Langdon, 
Harry  Thompson, 
Mrs.  Benjamin  Hersee, 
George  W.  Houghton, 
Pardon  C.  Sherman, 
John  Drake, 
Mrs.  Mark  Sibley, 
Benjamin  S.  Bidwell, 


28  History  of  Trinity  Church 

John  Bull,  Edward  H.  Dutton, 

James  McCredie,  John  Fleeharty, 

Lucas  Messtler,  Henry  Daw, 

Henry  Daw  and  James  DeLong,        William  B.  and  Charles 

Peter  L.  Parsons,  E.  Peck, 

Samuel  Stearns,  Henry  Kip, 

Fayette  Rumsey,  William  Laverack, 

Manley  Colton,  William  H.  Eckley, 

J.  Carew,  John  Griffith, 

B.  A.  Mumford,  Alonzo  W.  Johnson, 

Samuel  F.  Gelston,  Robert  McPherson, 

Dyre  Tillinghast,  Misses  Kimberly, 

John  M.  Hutchinson,  Cyrus  Athearn, 

David  Burt,  William  O.  Brown, 

James  DeLong,  Absalom  Bull, 

Asa  T.  Wood,  Samuel  K.  Worthington, 

Samuel  Purdy,  S.  V.  R.  Watson. 

During  the  last  forty  years  [says  one  of  the  newspapers  of  long 
ago],  the  pew  list  of  this  venerable  church  has  borne  the  names 
of  many  of  Buffalo's  oldest,  most  honored,  and  socially  distin- 
guished citizens.  Within  its  walls,  too,  have  worshiped  those 
whom  the  nation  delighted  to  honor.  One  bright  Sunday  morning 
in  1846,  that  "old  man  eloquent,"  ex-president  John  Quincy  Adams, 
sat  among  the  worshipers,  the  guest  of  Mr.  Henry  W.  Rogers. 

Charitable  work,  though  very  differently  managed 
from  that  of  the  present  time,  was  faithfully  performed 
by  the  women  of  the  parish.  They  went  basket  in  hand 
from  room  to  room  in  the  old  tenement  houses  on  Seneca 
Street,  and  over  the  canal  bridge,  trying  to  help  and 
comfort  those  less  favored  than  they.  Duty  was  a  word 
as  well  understood  in  those  days  as  the  present,  and  was 
perhaps  fulfilled  with  more  personal  sacrifice. 

One  small  incident  occurs  to  the  writer  which  although 
of  no  importance  in  itself,  seems  worthy  of  record  because 
it  has  lived  through  all  these  many  years  —  a  pleasant 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  29 

memory  of  a  beautiful  and  gracious  woman,  Mrs.  Emily 
Evstaphieve.  Asking  her  one  day  if  she  would  con- 
tribute to  some  charity,  she  immediately  replied,  "  Why, 
certainly;  I  have  been  wondering  what  I  should  do  with 
this  bill  I  have  tucked  away  in  my  purse";  and  the 
generous,  kindly  manner  of  the  giving  made  an  impres- 
sion quite  beyond  the  value  of  the  gift. 

"And  when  the  stream 
Which  overflowed  the  soul  was  passed  away, 
A  consciousness  remained  that  it  had  left, 
Deposited  upon  the  silent  shore 
Of  memory,  images  and  precious  thoughts 
That  shall  not  die  and  cannot  be  destroyed." 

The  example  of  such  a  mother,  as  has  been  the  case 
with  many  others  in  this  old  church  of  ours,  has  left  its 
mark  upon  their  descendants,  causing  them  to  love  the 
church  and  to  willingly  share  in  its  work. 

Mrs.  William  Laverack  also  was  one  of  the  old-time 
givers  and  workers.  She  collected  most  of  the  fund  for 
the  Ingersoll  memorial  window.  Notably  in  this  con- 
nection, though  of  later  date,  we  would  add  the  names 
of  Mrs.  Thomas  F.  Rochester,  Mrs.  Peter  A.  Porter, 
Miss  Sabina  Morris,  and  Mrs.  James  McCredie.  These, 
and  many,  many  more,  have  found  that 

"Amid  all  life's  quests 
There  seems  but  worthy  one  —  to  do  men  good." 

During  the  war  times  the  women  of  Trinity,  as  well 
as  those  of  all  the  churches  in  Buffalo,  were  enthusias- 
tically working  for  the  armies  of  the  North.  Mrs.  Horatio 
Seymour,  of  Saint  Paul's  Church,  a  most  conscientious 
and  capable  woman,  fearless  and  determined  in  a  right 


30  History  of  Trinity  Church 

cause,  was  president  of  the  Soldiers'  Aid  Society.  Miss 
Maria  M.  Love  was  also  an  active  member  in  this  society, 
and  thus  began  in  her  youthful  days  the  philanthropic 
work  in  which  she  is  still  so  eminent  and  capable. 

Among  some  unpublished  reminiscences  of  that  time 
is  that  of  an  amateur  performance  of  "  The  Mistletoe 
Bough,"  given  at  the  opera  house  for  this  cause.  Many 
of  the  actors  are  still  prominent  in  our  social  life.  Mrs. 
Samuel  M.  Welch  appeared  as  one  of  the  young  maids 
dusting  in  the  attic,  where,  to  her  horror,  she  discovers 
the  skeleton  in  the  "  old  oak  chest."  (It  had  been  fur- 
nished from  the  study  of  Doctor  Walter  Cary.)  Mrs. 
Fanny  L.  Dole  (mother  of  Mrs.  Charles  De  Laney),  a 
sweet  singer  of  that  day,  gave  the  music  and  story  be- 
tween the  acts,  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Love  (the  bride) 
appeared  in  the  last  scene,  ascending  to  heaven,  borne  up 
by  a  group  of  admiring  angels.  It  has  ever  since  been  a 
relief  to  the  children  who  witnessed  the  play  to  know 
that  it  wasn't  her  skeleton  that  was  found  in  the  "  old 
oak  chest." 

To  go  a  little  further  back  chronologically,  the  insti- 
tution of  Doctor  Ingersoll  was  an  important  era  in  the 
history  of  Trinity.  The  church  had  become  very  popu- 
lar, and  the  seating  capacity  was  already  too  small.  So, 
at  the  annual  sale  and  renting  of  pews,  certain  square 
pews  accomodating  eight  or  ten  people  in  separate  sit- 
tings were  sold  for  the  occupancy  of  families.  One  of 
these  had  been  rented  to  a  party  of  bachelors,  who  were 
thus  sold  out,  and  had  to  accept  the  hospitality  of  friends, 
which  was  not  an  agreeable  arrangement.  The  party  of 
young  gentlemen  was  composed  of  Thomas  C.  Welch, 
Doctor  John  S.  Trowbridge,  Doctor  Sylvester  F.  Mixer, 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  3 1 

Ai  Rollins,  Edmund  P.  Pickering,  James  L.  Butler, 
Charles  Pickering,  Otis  P.  Sheldon,  and  Samuel  M.  Welch. 

Soon  after  Easter  they  met  at  a  convivial  supper  in  a 
popular  restaurant  called  the  Pantheon.  One  topic  of 
discussion  was,  "  What  shall  we  do  for  sittings  in  Trin- 
ity ?  "  Finally,  the  suggestion  was  offered  that  then  and 
there  they  should  organize  a  new  parish.  The  idea  was 
certainly  a  novel  one  to  proceed  from  a  set  of  gay  young 
men,  not  one  of  whom  had  then  been  confirmed.  But  it 
showed  a  more  serious  interest  in  church  matters  than 
most  young  men  exhibit  nowadays.  This  was  the  be- 
ginning of  Saint  John's,  the  grandchild  of  Saint  Paul's. 

The  music  has  always  been  a  prominent  feature  in 
Trinity  Church.  Mrs.  Barton  Hill,  soprano,  was  a  very 
accomplished  musician.  Her  singing  was  most  inspir- 
ing and  sympathetic.  She  moved  the  feelings  of  a  con- 
gregation or  of  a  secular  audience  as  few  singers  can. 
At  a  patriotic  meeting,  during  the  Civil  War,  she  led  in 
the  national  hymn,  the  whole  audience  joining  in  the 
chorus  of"  The  Star  Spangled  Banner."  It  was  an  occasion 
never  to  be  forgotten  by  those  who  were  present.  Some 
of  the  musicians  whose  names  were  long  associated  with 
the  choir  are  Mrs.  Anderson,  Miss  Eliza  Maltby,  Mr. 
Frank  Pease,  and  Mr.  Booker.  Mrs.  Rushmore  Poole, 
Mrs.  Ambrose  S.  Sterling,  Mrs.  Ida  Lee  Mayhew,  Mrs. 
Sears,  Mrs.  Hoffman,  Miss  Charlotte  Hedge,  Mr.  William 
Eckley,  Mr.  Barton,  Mr.  Everett  Baker,  and  Mr.  Laurence 
were  succeeding  organists,  and,  later,  John  R.  Blodgett, 
Robert  Denton,  and  William  Kaffenberger.  Other  soloists 
were  Miss  Sweet,  James  M.  Kimberly,  the  Misses  Evsta- 
phieve,  Mr.  Jesse  Ketchum,  Miss  Christine  Dossert,  and 
Mr.  Charles  Hager.    The  latter  thus  early  commenced  his 


32  History  of  Trinity  Church 

work  with  the  choir,  and  at  this  date  (March,  1897)  we 
are  pleased  to  state  that  he  is  still  in  charge  of  the  choris- 
ters. Five  years  ago  he  reached  the  twenty-fifth  anniver- 
sary of  his  connection  with  the  choir,  and  received  cordial 
testimonials  from  the  congregation. 

The  year  1852  was  a  sad  one  for  the  dear  rector. 
His  lovely  eldest  daughter  was  failing  in  health,  and 
eventually  died  of  consumption.  He  was  obliged  to  re- 
quest leave  of  absence  for  several  months,  in  order  to 
give  his  child  "those  temporal  comforts,  and  above  all 
those  spiritual  consolations  which  a  person  in  her  sad 
condition  so  greatly  needs."  Proper  arrangements  were 
made  by  the  vestry  for  conducting  the  services  in  Doctor 
Ingersoll's  absence,  and  he  went  on  his  fruitless  journey. 
His  wife's  health  gradually  failed,  and  although  she  sur- 
vived this  trial  for  several  years,  she  was  always  an  in- 
valid and  a  source  of  loving  care  and  anxiety  to  her  hus- 
band. In  1 86 1  it  became  necessary  that  Doctor  Ingersoll 
should  take  his  wife  to  Minnesota,  hoping  by  change  of 
climate  to  arrest  the  disease  from  which  she  was  suffering. 
Thus  again,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  his  young  family  in 
charge  of  others,  his  pulpit  to  an  assistant,  and  his  beau- 
tiful young  daughter  Susette  without  the  mother's  care. 
This  young  lady  afterwards  married  Mr.  Robert  Hayes, 
and  died  early  in  life. 

It  was  during  this  absence  of  Doctor  Ingersoll  that  the 
Reverend  Doctor  Starkey  had  charge  of  the  parish.  He 
was  a  clergyman  of  rare  gifts  and  much  beloved. 

Mrs.  Ingersoll  was  not  benefited  by  the  change,  and 
her  death  occurred  in  1866.  The  vestry  passed  tender 
resolutions  of  regret  and  sympathy,  and  requested  Doc- 
tor Ingersoll  to  give  up  his  parochial  duties  for  a  time, 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  3$ 

hoping  it  might  restore  his  health  and  peace  of  mind. 
The  women  of  the  church  erected  a  tablet  to  Mrs.  Inger- 
soll's  memory,  which  was  placed  in  the  chancel. 

The  Doctor  bore  all  these  afflictions  uncomplainingly, 
and  returned  to  his  accustomed  duties  and  occupations, 
knowing  that "  the  heart  knoweth  his  own  bitterness,  and 
a  stranger  doth  not  intermeddle  with  his  joy."  The 
expression  "  the  patient  Ingersoll,"  as  used  by  one  of  the 
standing  committee  of  the  diocese  in  speaking  of  him, 
reveals  the  world  of  sad  experiences  through  which  he 
had  passed. 

At  various  times  in  the  history  of  the  church,  begin- 
ning as  early  as  1852,  schemes  for  selling  the  old  build- 
ing and  moving  further  uptown  had  been  proposed,  once 
resulting  in  quite  a  large  subscription  for  the  purpose, 
and  again  in  really  purchasing  a  lot  on  Delaware  Ave- 
nue, at  the  corner  of  Park  Place.  But  the  locality  not 
meeting  favor  with  a  large  number  of  the  subscribers,  it 
was  eventually  abandoned.  The  question  of  consolida- 
tion with  Christ  Church  had  also  been  taken  up;  and 
although  both  vestries  seemed  favorable  to  the  project, 
objections  seemed  constantly  to  arise,  until  our  vestry 
became  discouraged  and  gave  up  the  hope  of  ever  getting 
the  congregation  out  of  the  old  locality.  These  few 
words  cover  the  experiences  of  several  years,  but  the 
details  would  not  be  interesting  reading.  Doctor  Inger- 
soll, also,  grieved  and  disappointed  by  the  failure  of  the 
project  which  seemed  to  promise  prosperity  and  unity 
for  the  church,  with  much  sorrow  resigned  his  rector- 
ship. He  had  refused  the  position  of  one  of  the  assistant 
ministers  of  Trinity  Church,  New  York :  he  had  been 
elected  to  all  the  offices  in  the  diocese  which   he  was 


34  History  of  Trinity  Church 

willing  to  accept,  and  had  uniformly  filled  them  with 
honor  to  himself  and  his  people,  but  his  singularly  un- 
ambitious nature  seemed  to  resist  the  idea  of  change, 
even  in  promotion. 

His  letter  of  resignation  was  as  follows: 

I  hereby  resign  the  rectorship  of  Trinity  Church,  Buffalo,  this 
resignation  to  take  place  on  the  first  day  of  March,  1874,  the  thir- 
tieth anniversary  of  my  incumbency  of  this  parish. 

It  is  exceedingly  painful  to  sunder  the  bonds  which  have  united 
us  for  so  many  years  in  such  a  sacred  relationship,  but  I  deem  it 
best  that  a  separation  should  take  place.  For  many  years  my 
relations  to  Trinity  Church  were  everything  I  could  have  wished 
them  to  be,  marked  as  they  were  by  kind  attentions,  Christian 
sympathy,  and  evidences  of  attachment  too  strong  and  numerous 
ever  to  be  forgotten.  And,  indeed,  I  have  reason  to  believe  that 
towards  me  personally  there  still  remain  very  strong  feelings  of 
attachment.  But  all  this  can  never  compensate  for  the  loss  of  what 
I  deem  to  be  the  vital  interests  of  this  parish. 

The  indifference  evinced  by  a  large  and  influential  portion  of 
the  congregation  on  the  matter  of  the  erection  of  a  new  church  edi- 
fice (a  project  which  was  entered  upon  with  so  much  enthusiasm  in 
the  spring  of  1871),  the  greatly  diminished  number  of  those  who 
attend  the  public  worship  of  the  church,  the  neglect — and  in  some 
cases  the  absolute  refusal — to  pay  the  taxes  and  rents, — these, 
and  other  things  which  might  be  mentioned,  are  indications  of 
apathy,  which,  if  not  arrested,  must  result  in  increasing  languish- 
ment  and  decay,  and,  ultimately,  in  the  extinction  of  the  parish. 

May  the  good  Lord  avert  from  it  such  a  dreadful  catastrophe  ! 
May  He  direct  you  to  the  choice  of  a  worthy  successor  to  the  rec- 
torship—  a  man  who  can  meet  the  difficulties  and  dangers  which 
encompass  our  beloved  parish  with  more  wisdom  and  zeal  and 
energy  and  endurance  than  your  present  rector  can  command. 

Affectionately  your  pastor, 

EDWARD  INGERSOLL. 

Trinity  Church  Rectory, 
October  nth,  A.  D.  1873. 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  35 

Doctor  Ingersoll  was  ultimately  induced  to  extend 
his  services  to  Easter  Monday.  The  vestry,  in  accepting 
their  rector's  resignation, passed  the  following  resolutions : 

Resolved :  that  in  accepting  the  resignation  of  the  Reverend 
Edward  Ingersoll,  D.  D.,  as  rector  of  this  parish,  we  do  so  with 
feelings  of  pain  and  sorrow  which  no  words  of  ours  can  adequately 
express,  and  which  we  are  confident  are  shared  by  every  member 
of  this  parish.  For  a  period  of  thirty  years  he  has  been  our  pastor, 
teacher,  and  friend  ;  he  has  broken  to  us  the  bread  of  life ;  he  has 
preached  to  us  with  impressive  earnestness  and  power  the  Gospel 
of  the  Everlasting  Kingdom  ;  he  has  rejoiced  with  us  in  all  our  joys, 
and  sympathized  with  and  consoled  us  in  every  sorrow  and  afflic- 
tion ;  and  in  all  the  sacred  and  endearing  relations  of  pastor  and 
people  he  has  been  united  to  us  by  ties  of  ever  increasing  tender- 
ness and  strength.  We  shall  never  cease  to  feel  the  debt  of  grati- 
tude and  affection  we  have  for  him,  and  we  invoke  upon  his  future 
years  the  bountiful  blessings  of  Heaven. 

JAMES  M.  SMITH, 
ROBERT  HOLLISTER, 
SAMUEL  K.  WORTHINGTON. 
February  10th,  1874. 

Having  for  the  sake  of  continuity  continued  the  his- 
tory of  Doctor  Ingersoll's  pastorate  up  to  the  time  of 
his  resignation,  it  is  necessary  to  retrace  our  steps  and 
record  some  of  the  important  events,  as  well  as  the  names 
of  individuals  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the  parish  for 
many  years. 

In  1855,  the  committee  from  the  vestry  for  procuring 
subscriptions  for  a  new  church  was,  Henry  W.  Rogers, 
Stephen  V.  R.  Watson,  John  M.  Hutchinson,  Alexander 
A.  Evstaphieve,  and  George  L.  Newman. 

In  1857,  Mr.  Rushmore  Poole,  having  had  the  super- 
vision of  the  choir  for  nineteen  consecutive  years,  signified 


2,6  History  of  Trinity  Church 

his  intention  to  withdraw.  His  duty  had  been  for  some 
years  combined  with  those  of  treasurer  and  of  clerk  of  the 
vestry.  The  vestry  passed  a  resolution  of  thanks  to 
him  for  his  faithful  administration  during  the  whole 
period  of  the  existence  of  the  parish. 

Other  names  connected  with  the  parish,  suggested 
from  memory,  are  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Charles  Winne,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cyrus  P.  Lee,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Samuel  M.  Welch, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  C.  Welch,  Doctor  Austin  Flint, 
Oscar  F.  Crary,  Curtis  L.  Brace,  Mrs.  Jason  Sexton,  Mrs. 
Thomas  Perkins,  Mrs.  E.  V.  Smith,  General  Bennet  Riley 
and  family,  Charles  Pickering,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William 
Williams,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  H.  Maynard,  Aaron  D. 
Patchin,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Hollister,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam Lovering,  Hugh  and  John  Allen,  Judson  Hanan, 
Robert  A.  Brown,  Harry  Thompson,  John  H.  Vought, 
James  C.  Harrison,  David  P.  Dobbins,  Doctor  John 
Hauenstein,  Miss  E.  Clark,  Edward  B.  Smith,  General 
and  Mrs.  Berry,  S.  F.  Sherman,  Edward  H.  Dutton,  S. 
Brush,  L.  D.  Caldwell,  Theodore  and  Julia  McKnight, 
Henry  C.  Winslow,  George  Gorham,  John  Ganson, 
Moses  Smith,  T.  P.  Clarkson,  James  W.  Brown,  Jesse  C. 
Dann,  Charles  Ensign,  William  B.  Peck,  Andrew  G.  C. 
Cochrane,  Ammi  W.  Cutter,  Robert  H.  Stevens,  Joseph 
L.  Fairchild,  Charles  G.  Irish,  Cornelius  R.  Ganson, 
Moses  M.  Richmond,  Gibson  T.  Williams,  William  L. 
Dorsheimer,  Henry  L.  Lansing,  Bronson  C.  Rumsey, 
Sylvester  F.  Mixer,  Charles  R.  Gold,  Cyrus  Clarke, 
George  L.  Clinton,  Doctor  Thomas  F.  Rochester,  Isaac 
W.  Brownell,  Augustus  C.  Taylor,  Albert  Barnard,  Shel- 
don Pease,  Orson  Phelps,  Thomas  Kasson,  Chandler  J. 
Wells,  F.  A.  Newbould,  Doctor  Frederick  S.  Dellenbaugh, 


Reverend  Edward  Inger soil  ■%>! 

Cyrenius  C.  Bristol,  William  A.  Bird,  junior,  Townsend 
Davis,  Frank  W.  Fiske,  Edward  B.  Smith,  Henry  R. 
Watson,  William  E.  Foster,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Porter,  Miss 
Sabina  Morris.  The  early  records  having  been  lost, 
probably  in  their  removal  from  the  old  church,  it  is  im- 
possible to  verify  the  list. 

In  i860  the  name  of  Rufus  L.  Howard  appears  in  the 
list  of  the  vestry.  From  that  time  till  the  year  of  his 
death,  1896,  he  has  been  a  valued  and  constant  friend 
and  adviser  of  the  rector  and  vestry,  and  was  warden  for 
many  years.  It  is  still  a  pleasant  memory  with  the 
congregation  to  recall  the  handsome,  erect  figures  of 
David  P.  Dobbins  and  Rufus  L.  Howard  walking  up  the 
aisle  to  leave  their  offerings  at  the  altar. 

In  1863  the  name  of  James  McCredie,  the  lifelong 
friend  and  the  generous  benefactor  of  the  new  church, 
appears  on  the  vestry.  This  date  also  marks  the  death 
of  Henry  Daw,  warden  since  the  time  of  the  organization 
of  the  parish.  Mr.  Robert  Hollister  became  his  successor. 
His  name  and  that  of  Mrs.  Hollister  are  conspicuous  in 
the  church  annals,  as  well  as  in  society. 

In  1864  occurred  the  death  of  the  loved  and  honored 
Bishop  De  Lancey,  the  first  bishop  of  Western  New 
York.  The  resolutions  of  the  vestry  are  included  in  the 
sketch  of  his  life  which  has  been  given. 

In  1867,  Frederick  Shadrake,  the  faithful  servant  and 
sexton  of  the  parish,  died,  and  a  resolution  of  regret  was 
passed  by  the  vestry. 

The  year  1868  is  marked  in  the  church  annals  by  the 
death  of  its  former  rector,  Bishop  Hawks.  The  action 
of  the  vestry  was  as  follows,  James  M.  Smith  presenting 
the  memorial: 


38  History  of  Trinity  Church 

Inasmuch  as  it  has  pleased  Almighty  God  in  His  wise  provi- 
dence to  remove  from  his  earthly  labors  the  Right  Reverend  Cicero 
Stephens  Hawks,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  Missouri,  we,  the  rector,  war- 
dens, and  vestrymen  of  Trinity  Church,  Buffalo,  (of  which  he  was 
the  first  rector,)  assembled  to  take  action  suitable  to  this  mournful 
occasion,  and  place  upon  record  this  memorial  of  our  affection  for 
our  first  rector,  and  of  our  grief  at  the  death  of  a  distinguished  and 
faithful  soldier  and  servant  of  the  cross. 

He  came  to  this  parish  in  the  year  1837,  but  a  few  months  after 
its  organization,  and  for  nearly  seven  years  he  labored  with  singu- 
lar zeal  and  wisdom  to  establish  it  upon  firm  foundations,  to  enlarge 
its  borders,  and  to  build  it  up  in  strength  and  beauty. 

As  we  look  back  to  those  years  of  his  faithful,  devout,  and  ear- 
nest labors  among  us,  we  feel  how  deeply  this  parish  was  indebted 
to  him,  under  God,  for  its  rapid  growth,  its  uniform  prosperity,  for 
its  present  stability,  and  for  the  efficiency,  harmony,  and  charity 
which  have  marked  its  history. 

Called  and  divinely  consecrated  to  the  work  of  a  bishop  in  the 
church,  he  illustrated  in  that  new  and  wider  field  of  labor  the  same 
noble  gifts  and  graces  which  had  made  him  the  successful  rector. 
Zealously  devoting  himself  to  the  work  of  carrying  to  every  part  of 
his  widely  extended  diocese  the  glad  tidings  of  the  gospel  of  Christ, 
he  was  indeed  "an  example  of  the  believer,  in  word,  in  conversa- 
tion, in  charity,  in  spirit,  in  faith,  in  purity." 

Amid  many  trials  and  discouragements  he  ever  labored  faith- 
fully to  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist  and  make  full  proof  of  his 
ministry.  He  has  left  upon  his  diocese  the  impress  of  his  life  and 
character,  and  the  good  seed  which  he  has  sown  will,  we  hope  and 
pray,  bear  abundant  fruit  to  the  glory  of  God. 

But  it  was  not  only  in  the  duties  of  his  holy  office  that  we  recall 
his  worth  and  mourn  his  loss,  but  as  a  scholar  of  polished  learning 
and  varied  attainments,  as  a  Christian  gentleman  unsurpassed  in 
the  true  graces  and  courtesies  of  life,  as  a  bright  example  in  all  the 
sweet,  delightful  relations  of  social  existence,  as  a  citizen  and 
a  patriot  whose  loyalty  to  his  country's  cause  and  honor  in  the  hour 
of  her  trial  shone  unsullied  by  the  prejudices  of  birth  and  associa- 
tion. Of  him  can  it  be  justly  said,  "All  that  a  man  and  a  Christian 
should  be,  that  he  was."  His  Master  called  him  in  the  midst  of  his 
years,  and  he  has  gone  to  that  rest  and  reward  to  which  he  looked 
forward  with  the  eye  of  faith. 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  39 

He  will  long  be  mourned  by  those  to  whom  he  ministered  in 
spiritual  things ;  his  memory  and  character  will  be  the  precious 
heritage  of  his  diocese ;  and  his  name  and  fame  will  live  in  the  an- 
nals of  the  American  Church. 

J.  McCREDIE, 

Clerk  of  the  Vestry. 
May  1 2th,  186S. 

This  memorial  was  forwarded  to  the  Reverend  Mont- 
gomery Schuyler,  then  in  charge  of  a  parish  in  Saint 
Louis,  and  formerly  rector  of  Saint  John's  Church, 
Buffalo.     In  his  letter  of  acknowledgment  he  says: 

I  thank  you,  in  behalf  of  the  Standing  Committee,  for  being 
thus  remembered  by  the  parish  of  Trinity  Church  in  the  day  of  our 
bereavement.  I  will  transmit  one  of  the  memorials  to  Mrs.  Hawks, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  will  be  peculiarly  grateful  to  her, 
coming  from  a  flock  of  whom  the  Bishop  so  often  spoke  with  loving 

tenderness. 

Truly  your  friend, 

M.  SCHUYLER. 

In  1 87 1  Mr.  Henry  W.  Rogers  removed  to  Michigan, 
and  severed  his  connection  with  the  parish;  and  Mr. 
James  M.  Smith,  a  long-time  vestryman,  was  made  war- 
den in  his  place.  Mr.  Rogers  was  a  prominent  lawyer 
and  successful  business  man,  and  active  in  all  the  affairs 
of  the  church.  He  was  much  missed,  both  in  society 
and  in  the  parish.  Mrs.  Rogers's  loss  to  the  church  and 
community  was  deeply  felt.  A  lady  of  the  old  school, 
she  was  unpretentious  and  unassuming  in  character,  and 
won  all  hearts  by  her  sweetness  and  sympathy. 

Many  representatives  from  central  New  York  emi- 
grated here  in  the  early  days,  forming  an  intelligent  and 
high-toned  circle,  whose  influence  on  Buffalo  society  is 
still  apparent.     Among  these  were  Mrs.  Mark  Sibley,  a 


40  History  of  Trinity  Church 

devout  churchwoman  and  a  most  generous  giver,  and  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  John  Ganson,  whose  lifelong  sorrow  in 
the  sudden  death  of  her  distinguished  husband  still  has 
sympathizers  in  those  who  knew  and  admired  him  in  the 
days  so  long  ago;  Doctor  and  Mrs.  James  P.  White, 
whose  elegant  home  was  the  center  of  a  gracefully  dis- 
pensed hospitality,  and  who  were  pronounced  church 
people,  Doctor  White  being  also  one  of  the  leading 
practitioners  in  western  New  York;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis 
Jenkins,  with  their  lovely  family  of  daughters,  of  whom 
Mrs.  Jason  Sexton  was  one. 

The  golden  wedding  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jenkins  was 
celebrated  in  i860,  with  a  service  of  prayer  and  praise, 
conducted  by  the  Reverend  Doctor  Ingersoll.  The  Right 
Reverend  Bishop  Coxeand  the  Reverend  Doctor  Shelton 
were  also  present.  One  verse  of  the  poem  written  in 
their  honor  seemed  to  be  verified  in  the  closing  days  of 
their  life  together: 


"Now  resting  on  life's  steep  ascent, 

Its  toilsome  journey  over, 
They  almost  see  the  promised  land 

Across  the  flowing  river  ; 
And  standing  by  its  swelling  tide, 

Thus,  side  by  side,  together, 
How  sweet  to  say,  how  sweet  to  know 

It  will  be  thus  forever  !  " 


Mrs.  Jenkins  died  in  April,  1873,  and  her  husband  fol- 
lowed her  the  next  month.  It  was  said  of  them :  "  Thus 
have  passed  away  two  pure  and  beautiful  lives,  which, 
though  long  withdrawn  from  the  bustle  and  cares  of 
worldly  excitement  and  business,  will  be  cherished  in  the 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  4 1 

memory  of  a  living  circle  of  friends  as  among  the  few 
consistent  examples  of  Christian  character  which  reaped 
to  the  full  the  promised  reward,  'With  long  life  will  I 
satisfy  them,  and  show  them  my  salvation.'  The  faith 
which  as  members  of  our  holy  church  they  professed 
in  early  life  was  their  guide  and  solace  during  their  long 
earthly  pilgrimage,  and  their  household  was  ever  con- 
ducted in  the  simplicity  and  earnestness  of  the  true  fol- 
lowers of  Jesus." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  D.  Norton  were  also  from 
Canandaigua ;  and,  though  not  members  of  Trinity,  were 
intimately  associated  with  the  names  mentioned.  John 
Ganson,  Charles  D.  Norton,  and  George  Gorham  are 
names  which  have  lent  brilliance  to  the  legal  reputation 
of  Buffalo.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  L.  Lansing  also  belonged 
to  this  colony  from  central  New  York.  Mr.  Trumbull 
Cary,  though  not  a  resident  of  Buffalo,  was  so  near  a 
neighbor  in  Batavia,  that,  looking  back  to  those  early 
times  when  important  people  all  knew  each  other,  he 
seems  almost  like  one  of  us.  His  son,  Doctor  Walter 
Cary,  was  always  a  conspicuous  figure,  and  his  family  for 
many  years  filled  two  pews  in  old  Trinity,  and  were 
active  workers  in  church  and  Sunday  school.  Doctor  and 
Mrs.  Thomas  F.  Rochester,  though  of  later  date,  came 
from  Geneva  and  represented  the  conservative  element 
so  strong  in  these  early  residents.  Mrs.  Rochester,  the 
daughter  of  Bishop  De  Lancey,  brought  to  her  new  home 
the  strong  churchly  principles  in  which  she  had  been  edu- 
cated, remarkable  literary  culture,  and  the  daily  example 
of  duty  first,  which  never  dies  or  is  forgotten.  Doctor 
Rochester  was  an  extremely  popular  and  beloved  physi- 
cian, and  his  death  was  deeply  felt  in  the  community. 


42  History  of  Trinity  Church 

The  custom  of  presenting  memorials  was  not  so  gen- 
eral in  the  early  part  of  Doctor  Ingersoll's  rectorate  as  it 
became  under  the  new  regime ;  but  we  find  a  record  that 
the  first  font,  which  is  now  with  the  altar  furnishings  at 
the  Ingersoll  Memorial  Church,  was  purchased  with  the 
money  earned  by  little  girls  who  made  and  sold  holders 
and  other  practical  articles. 

The  ecclesiastical  candlesticks  which  were  first  placed 
on  the  altar  of  old  Trinity  were  brought  as  a  gift  from 
Europe  by  Miss  Maria  M.  Love.  Mrs.  Cary  and  Miss 
Elizabeth  Love  at  the  same  time  presented  an  embroi- 
dered altar  cloth  and  kneeling  stool. 

The  importance  of  Mr.  S.  V.  R.  Watson's  position  in 
the  community  has  been  elsewhere  alluded  to.  His 
interest  in  the  progress  of  the  city  was  also  carried  into 
the  affairs  of  the  church,  in  which  he  was  for  several 
years  a  vestryman.  Since  his  death,  Mrs.  Watson  has 
been  most  liberal  in  her  contributions  towards  beautify- 
ing the  new  church.  Two  famous  La  Farge  windows  have 
been  donated  by  her  as  memorials  to  members  of  her 
family.  One  belongs  to  the  series  of  chancel  windows, 
and  one  is  placed  in  the  memorial  chapel.  When  the 
latter  was  exhibited  at  the  French  Exposition  by  the 
artist,  he  was  offered  a  large  price  for  it  by  the  French 
government.  But  the  first  patron  would  not  resign  her 
claim,  and  it  is  now  a  lasting  monument  to  his  fame,  in 
the  church  which  some  one  has  said  will  eventually  be  the 
Mecca  to  which  all  lovers  of  artistic  work  of  that  kind 
will  journey  for  study  and  instruction.  Other  very  beauti- 
ful windows  in  the  same  style  are  from  Tiffany  &  Co., 
New  York.  Most  of  the  windows  were  presented  during 
the  rectorate  of  Doctor  Van  Bokkelen. 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  43 

The  Ladies'  Aid  Society  insured  Doctor  Ingersoll's 
life.  The  memory  of  the  first  two  wardens,  Henry  Daw 
and  Captain  Samuel  L.  Russell,  was  perpetuated  by  the 
erection  of  tablets  within  the  church,  which  have  since 
been  removed  to  the  memorial  chapel  of  new  Trinity. 
That  of  Captain  Russell  was  the  gift  of  Bishop  Hawks. 
Later,  a  tablet  was  erected  to  the  memory  of  Jerry  Rad- 
cliffe,  which  also  has  been  removed  to  the  new  church. 
He  was  an  unassuming  and  accomplished  gentleman, 
who  figured  quite  prominently  in  the  early  annals  of  the 
city,  and  who  had  several  beautiful  daughters,  afterwards 
known  as  Mrs.  Robert  Hollister,  Mrs.  William  Laverack, 
Mrs.  James  A.  Cowing,  Mrs.  Walter  Joy,  and  Mrs.  Thomas 
Kip. 

Upon  Doctor  Ingersoll's  retirement  from  Trinity  he 
accepted  the  temporary  charge  of  Saint  Peter's  Church, 
Niagara  Falls,  where  he  remained  two  years.  On  his 
return  to  Buffalo,  he  consented  to  accept  the  chaplaincy 
of  the  Church  Home,  and  by  a  resolution  of  the  rector 
and  vestry  of  Trinity  Church,  he  was  elected  rector 
emeritus,  which  honor  was  conveyed  to  him  with  the 
accompanying  testimony: 

The  wardens  and  vestry  of  Trinity  Church,  in  common  with 
the  parishioners,  bear  in  grateful  remembrance  the  long  and  faith- 
ful services  of  Doctor  Ingersoll  as  their  rector;  and  whereas  the 
present  rector  has  suggested  and  requested  that  he  be  elected  rec- 
tor emeritus  of  Trinity  Church,  be  it  resolved  that  the  position  be 
tendered  to  Doctor  Ingersoll  as  a  token  of  the  esteem  of  his  former 
parishioners,  and  that  he  be  requested  to  unite  with  them  at  public 
worship,  taking  such  part  as  may  be  convenient  to  himself,  and 
with  the  express  understanding  that  he  assumes  no  labor  or  respon- 
sibility by  acceptance  of  the  position,  except  such  as  he  may  volun- 
tarily choose  to  undertake. 


44  History  of  Trinity  Church 

His  reply  was  cordial  and  characteristic,  in  which  he 
said: 

I  accept  the  position,  assuring  you,  gentlemen,  that  I  appreci- 
ate very  highly  the  honor  thus  conferred  upon  me.  It  will  be  a 
blessed  privilege  to  unite  with  you  at  public  worship,  in  the  same 
church  where  for  so  many  years  I  served  in  the  sacred  ministry, 
and  it  will  afford  me  much  pleasure  to  assist  your  esteemed  rector 
from  time  to  time,  in  such  services  as  may  be  agreeable  to  him. 

Bishop  Coxe,  in  a  letter  to  the  vestry  on  this  subject, 
writes  as  follows: 

Assure  the  vestry  of  the  great  respect  with  which  I  review  their 
action,  honorable  as  it  is  to  all  parties  concerned  ;  a  fitting  tribute 
to  the  honored  and  beloved  divine  who  so  long  served  them  under 
God,  and  most  creditable  to  the  present  incumbent,  without  whose 
liberal  proposal  the  vestry  could  not  have  tendered  such  a  distinc- 
tion to  his  reverend  predecessor. 

It  is  pleasant  to  discover  that  long,  faithful,  and  stainless  min- 
istrations at  the  altar  are  not  always  forgotten. 

I  pray  that  Doctor  Ingersoll  may  long  be  spared  to  adorn  this 
position,  and  that  every  good  result  may  attend  this  action  of  the 
rector  and  vestry. 

A.  CLEVELAND  COXE, 

Bishop  of  Western  New  York. 

The  ending  of  this  long  and  beautiful  life  came  sud- 
denly at  the  Church  Home,  on  the  evening  of  February 
6th,  1883,  the  evening  of  Ash  Wednesday.  Peacefully, 
sweetly,  without  one  pang  of  suffering  or  dread, "  he  was 
not,  for  God  took  him."  The  news  of  Doctor  Ingersoll's 
death  sent  a  thrill  of  regret  through  the  community, 
deep  and  heartfelt  at  the  loss  of  so  noble  a  man.  None 
stood  higher  in  the  estimation  of  the  public.  Of  impos- 
ing presence  and  deep  learning,  he  filled  a  pulpit  as  few 


Edward  Ingersoll 

1875 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  45 

other  men  can.  Notwithstanding  his  age,  his  form  was 
erect  and  vigorous,  and  his  voice  had  a  sonorous,  mu- 
sical ring  which  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who 
heard  it.  As  a  man  and  a  Christian  he  was  known  of 
all  men,  and  honored  of  all. 

Mr.  James  N.  Matthews,  as  editor  of  the  Express, was 
long  a  unique  figure  in  American  journalism.  His  tren- 
chant pen  was  a  terror  to  his  enemies,  or  those  whose 
course  he  condemned;  but  to  his  friends  never  knight 
bore  himself  more  gallantly  than  he.  Generous,  sympa- 
thetic, and  tender,  his  facile  pen  ever  expressed  the  most 
touching  sympathy  for  his  friends  in  affliction.  A  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  vestryman  of 
Saint  John's,  all  the  church  charities  received  liberally 
from  his  hands;  and  in  the  diocesan  conventions,  as  well 
as  in  the  administration  of  church  affairs  at  home,  his 
voice  rang  out  clear  and  true.  When  Saint  John's  church 
was  divided,  the  most  influential  part  coming  up  town 
with  Christ  Church,  he  chose  to  continue  his  allegiance 
to  his  old  parish;  and  as  his  church  life  began  there, 
there  it  should  end.  No  one  has  spoken  of  our  deceased 
rector  with  higher  appreciation  or  more  tender  sympathy 
than  he,  and  we  are  glad  to  put  on  record  in  this  history 
his  beautiful  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Doctor  Ingersoll, 
which  appeared  in  the  columns  of  the  Buffalo  Express 
and  which  carries  with  it  a  touching  proof  of  Mr. 
Matthews's  love  and  respect  for  the  Doctor. 

There  never  was  within  our  knowledge  a  more  truly  lovable 
character  than  that  which  endeared  Edward  Ingersoll  to  the  hearts 
of  all  who  had  the  honor  and  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance. 

And  this  is  but  the  simplest  form  of  eulogy  that  will  spring  un- 
bidden to  the  lips  of  all  who  speak  of  him  as  they  knew  him, 


46  History  of  Trinity  Church 

whether  as  the  brilliant  and  singularly  handsome  young  minister 
who  came  to  Buffalo  when  elected  rector  of  Trinity  Church  nearly 
forty  years  ago,  or  as  the  faithful  spiritual  guide  and  domestic  friend 
who  went  in  and  out  among  his  flock  during  a  pastorate  of  over 
thirty  years,  or  as  the  venerable  and  distinguished  clergyman  who 
in  his  later  life  cheerfully  took  upon  himself  the  ill-requited  and 
humble  chaplaincy  of  the  Home  for  Destitute  and  Aged  Women, 
and  Orphans.  Never  was  there  a  man  less  selfish,  never  a  man 
more  charitable,  never  a  clergyman  more  devoted.  There  was 
this  remarkable  thing  about  Doctor  Ingersoll  —  the  universal  affec- 
tion which  came  to  him  as  the  natural  tribute  to  his  own  affectionate 
disposition.  He  was  admired  for  those  noble  gifts  which  shone 
alike  in  the  study,  at  the  desk,  and  in  the  pulpit.  To  hear  him  read 
the  church  service  was  at  once  a  lesson  and  a  comfort,  for  he 
always  read  as  he  felt,  and  that  was,  as  he  once  said  to  a  friend,  as 
if  he  must  read  for  more  than  a  man's  life, —  for  his  soul ! 

To  hear  him  preach  was  to  enjoy  an  intellectual  feast  with  edi- 
fication. He  was  respected  for  his  utterly  unselfish  devotion  to 
duty.  But  he  was  all-loved  because  it  seemed  that  he  was  almost 
Godlike  in  his  love  for  his  fellow-men.  He  was  loved  for  himself 
because  he  was  himself.  He  was  loved  as  one  loves  a  little  child, 
because  of  all  men  he  was  most  childlike,  in  that  supreme  unworld- 
liness  and  that  sweet  trustfulness  which  are  so  rarely  found  in  chil- 
dren of  a  larger  growth. 

Yet  this  true  Christian's  life  was  one  long  exemplification  of 
that  mystery  of  affliction  which  causes  men  to  wonder  at  the 
workings  of  Providence.  Sometimes  it  seemed  that  unmerited 
misfortunes  fell  upon  him  faster  and  heavier  than  poor  human- 
ity could  bear.  He  had  a  large  family :  some  of  the  children  fell 
sick  and  died ;  their  beloved  mother  was  a  hopeless  invalid  for 
many  years,  and  he  was  her  constant  nurse ;  she  was  taken  from 
him  at  last  when  the  younger  ones  that  were  left  most  needed  a 
mother's  care. 

In  his  prime,  he  subdued  the  promptings  of  honorable  ambition 
and  refused  such  high  preferment  in  the  church  as  would  have 
brought  him  wealth  and  distinction,  to  remain  here,  where  duty 
called  him  early.  Yet,  when  past  his  prime,  he  left  that  cherished 
charge  for  a  point  of  principle,  in  respect  to  the  temporalities  of  the 
parish,  although  it  might  almost  be  said  he  knew  not  where  to 
lay  his  head. 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  47 

He  was  never  more  truly  great  than  when  he  made  that  severe 
sacrifice.  Doctor  Ingersoll  was  "a  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted 
with  grief,"  yet  in  his  old  age  he  could  look  back  with  resignation 
upon  his  long  record  of  suffering  and  say, 

"  Time  has  laid  his  hand 
Upon  my  heart,  gently,  not  smiting  it, 
But  as  a  harper  lays  his  open  palm 
Upon  his  harp,  to  deaden  its  vibrations." 

And  the  end  was  peace  ! 

The  funeral  services  were  held  in  Trinity  Church.  The 
ladies  decorated  and  draped  the  church  in  accordance 
with  the  well-known  simple  tastes  of  the  late  rector 
emeritus.  Bishop  Coxe,  the  Reverend  Doctor  John  W. 
Brown  of  Saint  Paul's,  and  the  Reverend  Doctor  Van 
Bokkelen,  assisted  by  the  Episcopal  clergy  of  the  city, 
conducted  the  service.  The  remains  rested  in  a  red 
cedar  casket,  cloth-covered,  with  trimmings  of  silver.  It 
bore  this  inscription : 

Edward  Ingersoll, 
Born  November  26th,  1810, 
Died  February  6th,  1883. 

The  honorary  pallbearers  were  William  Laverack, 
William  H.  Walker,  Samuel  K.  Worthington,  A.  Porter 
Thompson,  Cyrus  P.  Lee,  James  M.  Smith ;  the  carriers 
were  John  Kimberly,  George  Gorham,  Thomas  Cary, 
George  E.  Laverack,  Hobart  Weed,  Albert  B.  Sprague. 

On  All  Saints'  Day  following  his  death,  a  large  alms 
basin  of  hammered  silver,  a  set  of  altar  books,  and  a 
handsome  marble  tablet  were  presented  as  memorials  of 
Doctor  Ingersoll. 

Bishop  Coxe  preached  a  sermon  in  his  memory,  of 
which  the  text  was  "  Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold 


48  History  of  Trinity  Church 

the  upright:  for  the  end  of  that  man  is  peace." — Psalm 
37 :  37.  After  general  remarks  on  the  feast  of  All  Saints, 
its  place  in  the  Christian  year,  and  its  practical  consola- 
tions, the  Bishop  said  it  was  highly  appropriate  on  this 
occasion  to  recall  the  memory  of  the  beloved  servant  of 
Christ  whose  name  must  be  forever  associated  with  this 
church. 

For  thirty  years  its  pastor,  he  has  bequeathed  to  it  as  a  lasting 
legacy  his  pure  example  and  his  lofty  character.  Last  year,  on 
this  very  day,  it  was  my  privilege  to  stand  with  him  at  the  altar  of 
the  little  chapel  in  the  Church  Home,  and  to  mark  the  deep  feeling 
with  which  he  ministered.  More  than  once  I  saw  tears  in  his  eyes 
as  he  read  the  touching  words  of  the  service,  and  I  knew  he  was 
recalling  his  own  beloved  dead,  and  drinking  in  at  the  same  time 
all  the  joy  and  comfort  which  are  imparted  by  the  words  of  Him 
who  is  the  resurrection  and  the  life.  At  that  time  two  presbyters  of 
this  diocese  survived,  and  still  went  in  and  out  among  us,  who 
stood  in  the  first  rank  of  our  clergy,  whose  long  and  faithful  services 
had  endeared  them  to  the  whole  community,  and  who  were  honored 
by  the  diocese  as  its  foremost  men.  They  were  indeed  like  those 
twin  columns  which  adorned  the  portals  of  the  ancient  temple,  the 
one  a  token  of  humility  and  the  other  of  strength,  the  one  indicating 
reliance  on  the  Most  High,  while  the  other  gave  an  example  of 
human  effort.  The  one  reminded  me  of  the  Ionic  pillar  in  its 
beauty  and  classic  grace ;  the  other  always  stood  like  a  Doric  col- 
umn, a  solid  and  enduring  support  to  whatever  rested  upon  his 
shoulders. 

There  was  in  their  very  forms  and  features  respectively  a  cor- 
responding character ;  both  were  men  of  marked  personal  dignity, 
and  of  distinguished  presence;  but  the  one  was  conspicuously 
graceful,  and  even  beautiful,  while  the  other  was  noble  in  expres- 
sion—rather austerely  so  than  otherwise,  for  it  was  only  in  social 
intercourse  that  it  beamed  with  kindness  and  became  benign. 

Each  had  his  appropriate  work  and  sphere,  and  each  attracted 
appreciating  and  admiring  friends.  Together  they  contributed 
largely  to  make  the  church  known  and  loved  in  this  city,  where 
they  lived  so  long  as  fellow-workers,  and  with  which  they  were  so 


Reverend  Edward  Ingersoll  49 

identified  that  as  I  returned  hither  last  evening  it  seemed  as  if  the 
very  streets  were  changed  now  that  Ingersoll  and  Shelton  are  no 
more. 

In  choosing  a  text  I  might  have  taken  Nathaniel's  eulogy,  and 
applied  it  to  Ingersoll,  for  he  was  "without  guile"  ;  but  I  thought 
rather  of  that  one  example  of  Holy  Scripture,  of  one  who  could  be 
faithful  and  yet  give  no  offense  to  any.  ' '  Demetrius  hath  good 
report  of  all  men,  and  of  the  truth  itself."  There  was  but  one 
Demetrius,  and  our  Ingersoll  was  like  him. 

The  text  I  have  cited,  however,  suits  the  occasion  better,  for 
God  gave  him  many  trials,  but  an  end  so  marked  in  its  beauty  that 
it  seemed  to  be  the  index  of  his  complete  and  upright  career  — 
"  The  end  of  that  man  is  peace."  And  after  his  many  sorrows,  his 
discipline  of  years,  his  loss  of  one  to  whose  virtues  the  tablet  on 
these  walls  bears  witness,  and  the  griefs  of  infirmity  and  age,  what 
a  gift  of  God  was  such  an  end  as  his  !  Amid  the  poor  and  needy, 
to  whom  he  ministered  so  lovingly ;  in  that  home  of  little  children, 
whom  he  resembled  so  closely  in  purity  of  heart; — it  came  to  pass 
that  "the  angel  touched  him  about  the  time  of  the  evening  obla- 
tion," and  so  "he  was  not,  for  God  took  him." 

Very  appropriate  and  beautiful  memorials  were  passed 
by  the  vestry  of  Saint  Paul's,  the  Board  of  Managers  of 
the  Church  Home,  and  a  sad  tribute  of  regret  from  the 
vestry  of  Trinity. 

On  the  first  Sunday  in  Lent,  while  old  Trinity  still 
wore  its  heavy  drapery  of  black  in  memory  of  the  late 
rector  emeritus,  the  rector,  the  Reverend  Doctor  Van 
Bokkelen,  in  the  course  of  his  sermon  spoke  thus  feel- 
ingly of  him: 

The  dear  and  Christian  man  whom  we  buried  ran  well  his  race, 
and  now  the  prize  is  his.  His  works  do  follow  him.  Thoughts  of 
these  works  are  today  in  many  minds.  There  are  sweet  memories 
of  his  words,  fragrant  recollections  of  his  deeds.  Could  we  hold 
converse  with  him  this  the  first  Lord's  Day  in  the  palace  of  the 
King,  he  would  tell  us  of  the  rapture  his  completed  work  brings  to 
his  sanctified  spirit,  and  how  it  yearns  to  have  the  work  finished 

d 


5<d  History  of  Trinity  Church 

which  was  left  incomplete.  He  reviews  his  thirty  years  of  labor  in 
this  church.  He  sees  those  whom  he  received  into  covenant  with 
Christ  by  holy  baptism,  the  goodly  company  which  he  marshaled 
for  the  laying  on  of  apostolic  hands,  the  great  army  which  he  ad- 
mitted to  holy  communion,  and  for  whom  he  broke  the  bread  of 
life.  He  counts  them  as  a  shepherd  numbers  his  flock  that  he 
may  know  whether  they  are  still  safe  in  the  fold.  He  thinks  of 
those  to  whom  he  called,  "Turn  ye  ;  why  will  ye  die?  "  but  they 
gave  no  heed  —  men  and  women  with  whom  he  pleaded  with  ear- 
nestness, eloquence,  and  pathos,  "Be  ye  reconciled  to  God!" 
What  think  you  his  earnest  desire  now  is  ?  It  is  that  you  join  hands 
with  Jesus. 

REQUIESCAT   IN   PACE. 


Arthur  Cleveland  Coxe 

1866 


Bishop   Coxe 


A  RTHUR   CLEVELAND    COXE,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 

/\       D.  C.  L.  (Oxon.),  bishop  of  the  diocese  of  West- 

■*     *•     ern    New   York,  was    born    in    Mendham,  New 

Jersey,  May  ioth,  1 8 1 8.     He  was  the  son  of  the  Reverend 

Samuel  Hanson  Cox,  a  celebrated  Presbyterian  divine. 

In  1820  the  family  moved  to  New  York,  where  the 
future  bishop  received  his  early  education.  He  was 
graduated  from  the  University  of  New  York  in  1838, 
and  passed  thence  to  the  General  Theological  Seminary, 
where  he  commenced  his  studies  for  holy  orders  in  1841. 

He  was  ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Onderdonk,  in 
Saint  Paul's  Chapel,  New  York,  June  27th,  1841,  and 
took  charge  of  Saint  Ann's  Church,  Morrisania.  On 
September  25th,  1842,  he  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood 
by  Bishop  Brownell,  of  Connecticut;  and  in  the  same 
year  took  charge  of  Saint  John's  Church,  Hartford,  where 
he  remained  until  1854,  when  he  accepted  the  rectorship 
of  Grace  Church,  Baltimore,  Maryland.  In  1856  he 
was  elected  bishop  of  Texas,  but  declined.  In  1863  he 
became  rector  of  Calvary  Church,  New  York,  where  he 
remained  until  he  was  elected  coadjutor  bishop  of  West- 
ern New  York,  in  1865.  He  was  consecrated  in  Trinity 
Church,  Geneva,  January  4th,  1865.  The  bishops  present 
were  the  right  reverend  doctors  De  Lancey,  Hopkins, 
McCoskry,  Horatio  Potter,  Odenheimer,  and  Talbot.  On 
April  5th  of  the  same  year  Bishop  De  Lancey  died,  and 
his  coadjutor  became  the  second  bishop  of  Western  New 


5  2  History  of  Trinity  Church 

York.  He  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity 
from  the  University  of  Durham,  England,  and  Saint 
James's  College,  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  in  1856;  that 
of  Sacrae  Theologiae  Doctor  from  Trinity  College,  Hart- 
ford, in  1868;  and  that  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  Kenyon 
College,  Gambier,  Ohio,  in  1868.  In  1868  his  diocese 
was  divided,  and  Central  New  York  was  committed  to 
other  hands.  In  1872,  the  church  in  Hayti  was  placed 
in  his  charge.  He  made  a  visitation  to  the  island,  con- 
secrated the  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  a  memorial  of 
Bishop  Burgess,  ordained  six  priests  and  five  deacons, 
and  administered  the  rite  of  confirmation  to  a  large 
number  of  candidates.  Bishop  Coxe  retained  the  charge 
of  the  Haytian  church  until  the  consecration  of  its  own 
bishop,  Doctor  J.  T.  Holley,  in  1874.  Bishop  Coxe 
always  took  an  active  interest  in  oup  missions  in  Greece, 
and  the  extension  of  the  church  in  Mexico.  He  was  a 
faithful  friend  to  Pere  Hyacinthe,  and  took  an  active 
interest  in  the  cause  of  the  Old  Catholics  in  Germany. 
His  "  Apology  for  the  English  Bible  "  led  to  the  sup- 
pression of  the  new  and  crude  revision  of  the  King 
James  version  made  at  great  cost  by  the  American  Bible 
Society. 

The  Union  Chretienne,  a  periodical  printed  in  Paris  in 
the  interests  of  Gallicanism  by  the  Abbe  Guettee,  pub- 
lished a  series  of  articles  from  his  pen  on  the  subject  of 
Anglican  orders. 

In  1869  he  published  an  "  Open  Letter  to  Pius  IX." 
in  answer  to  the  brief  convoking  the  Vatican  Council. 
This  was  widely  translated  and  circulated  all  over  Eu- 
rope. In  1872  he  published  in  Paris  his  work  "L'episco- 
pat  de  l'occident,"  a  new  presentation  of  the  history  of  the 


Bishop  Coxe  53 

Church  of  England,  and  in  refutation  of  Roman  Catholic 
attacks.  In  1873,  in  conjunction  with  Bishop  Wilber- 
force  and  others,  he  engaged  in  a  serial  publication  issued 
in  Oxford  in  defense  of  Anglo-Catholic  principles  against 
either  extreme.  He  sympathized  with  the  Oxford  move- 
ment so  far  as  it  moved  within  the  bounds  of  Anglo- 
Catholicity,  but  he  left  it  as  a  party  after  the  defection  of 
Doctor  Newman;  and  in  1866  he  further  clearly  defined 
his  position  by  the  publication  of  "  The  Criterion,"  which 
was  republished  in  England.  He  was  editor  in  chief  of 
an  American  edition  of  the  Edinburgh  translation  of  the 
antenicene  fathers. 

Among  Bishop  Coxe's  other  writings  are  "  Sermons 
on  Doctrine  and  Duty  "  (1855),  "  Impressions  of  Eng- 
land" (1856),  "Thoughts  on  the  Services"  (1859), 
"Moral  Reforms"  (1869),  "Apollos;  or,  The  Way  of 
God  "  (1873),  "  Christian  Institutes  "  (1887),  "  Letters  to 
Satolli  "  (1894).  Besides  these  he  has  published  a  large 
number  of  tracts,  editions,  and  translations  of  foreign 
works,  sermons,  letters,  lectures,  and  pamphlets,  and  has 
been  a  constant  contributor  to  our  leading  church  reviews 
and  magazines. 

Great  as  a  theologian,  he  was  perhaps  still  more 
widely  known  in  the  field  of  general  literature.  He  was 
a  poet  of  great  ability,  and  his  many  beautiful  hymns 
have  given  him  an  immortal  fame.  "Advent:  a  Mys- 
tery," "  Athwold,"  "  Athanasion,  and  Other  Poems," 
"  Hallowe'en,"  "  The  Ladye  Chace,"  besides  many  occa- 
sional poems  at  divers  times,  have  come  from  his  gifted 
pen.  But  particularly  his  "  Christian  Ballads,"  have  made 
his  name  a  household  word  in  every  Christian  land. 
Many  there  are  who  say  the  reading  of  these  poems  has 


54  History  of  Trinity  Churcli 

shaped  their  lives  and  made  them  the  churchmen  they  are; 
for  the  poetic  temperament  not  only  wins  by  its  enthusi- 
asm but  convinces  by  its  truth. 

On  Friday,  January  3d,  1890,  at  Saint  Paul's  Cathe- 
dral, Buffalo,  was  commemorated  the  twenty-fifth  anni- 
versary of  the  Bishop's  consecration.  The  choirs  of  the 
several  churches  of  the  city,  numbering  two  hundred 
white-robed  choristers,  rendered  the  music.  Over  eighty 
of  the  clergy  were  present,  and  the  Right  Reverend 
Henry  C.  Potter,  D.  D.,  bishop  of  New  York,  preached 
the  sermon.  On  this  memorable  occasion  the  Reverend 
Doctor  Rankine  delivered  a  congratulatory  address  to 
the  Bishop,  and  presented,  in  behalf  of  the  clergy  of  the 
diocese,  a  pastoral  staff  of  exquisite  workmanship ;  and, 
in  behalf  of  the  trustees  of  the  De  Lancey  Divinity 
School  and  Hobart  College,  a  rare  copy  of  a  polyglot 
Book  of  Common  Prayer.  The  chancellor  of  the  diocese, 
Judge  James  M.  Smith,  presented  the  Bishop  a  purse  of 
two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  the  gift  of  the  laymen 
of  the  diocese. 

As  already  stated,  in  1868  the  diocese  was  divided, 
and  the  portion  ceded  became  the  diocese  of  Central 
New  York.  That  which  remains  is  today  greater,  in 
number  of  clergy,  families,  and  communicants,  than  the 
original  diocese;  and  the  value  of  the  church  property 
has  vastly  increased.  We  cannot  call  to  mind  these 
manifold  blessings  but  with  the  deepest  gratitude  to 
Almighty  God.  Said  Bishop  Potter  in  his  anniversary 
sermon:  "The  years  come  and  go,  men  arise,  move  in 
their  little  sphere,  and  disappear.  But  in  this  diocese 
Hobart  and  De  Lancey  will  never  be  forgotten  —  nay, 
nor,  thank  God,  another !  " 


Arthur  Cleveland  Coxe 

[888 


Bishop  Coxe  55 

Verily,  Hobart,  De  Lancey,  and  Coxe  will  never  be 
forgotten.  And  with  deepest  fervency  of  heart  we  say, 
"  Blessed  Lord,  we  render  unto  Thee  high  laud  and 
worthy  thanks ;  as  for  all  Thy  mercies,  so  especially  for 
all  Thou  hast  wrought  for  us  through  choice  vessels  of 
Thy  grace,  who  have  shone  as  lights  of  the  world  in 
their  several  generations,  and  who  do  now  rest  from 
their  labors." 

We  must  leave  the  details  of  the  clerical,  as  well  as 
the  literary,  history  of  Bishop  Coxe  to  receive  full  justice 
at  the  hands  of  his  biographer.  We  trust  ere  long  such 
memoirs  will  be  published,  and  become  the  treasured 
possession,  not  only  of  his  diocese,  but  of  the  church  at 
large  and  the  world  of  letters. 

On  July  20th,  1896,  the  diocese  of  Western  New 
York  received  the  startling  and  afflicting  news  of  the 
death  of  their  beloved  bishop.  He  had  been  quite  ill  at 
Clifton  Springs,  but  only  a  day  or  two  previous  had 
written  that  he  was  much  better  and  would  soon  be  able 
to  resume  his  duties.  Then  came  the  appalling  message 
that  we  should  see  his  face  no  more.  The  end  came,  as 
he  himself  had  desired,  in  the  midst  of  labors  and  with 
plans  ready  formed  for  renewed  efforts  in  the  cause  that 
was  so  near  his  heart. 

In  accordance  with  the  notice  of  the  standing  com- 
mittee, the  obsequies  of  our  revered  diocesan  were  ob- 
served at  Trinity  Church,  Geneva,  New  York.  A  solemn 
procession  conveyed  the  remains  from  Clifton  Springs  to 
Geneva.  At  the  outskirts  of  the  little  city  they  were 
met  by  the  local  clergy  in  carriages.  The  procession  then 
moved  on  to  the  church,  while  the  bell  solemnly  tolled 
in  honor  of  the  leader  who  had  passed  away.     It  had 


56  History  of  Trinity  Church 

been  the  desire  of  the  Bishop  that  everything  connected 
with  the  funeral  services  be  extremely  simple.  He  had 
specified  that  nothing  besides  the  ordinary  service  of 
the  church  should  be  said.  His  wishes  were  carried  out 
as  accurately  as  possible.  The  coffin  was  of  solid  oak 
with  a  plain  cross  on  the  top,  extending  the  full  length 
of  it.     The  inscription  upon  the  plate  was  as  follows: 

Arthur  Cleveland  Coxe, 
Born  May  ioth,  1S18. 
Died  July  2oth,  1S96. 

While  the  body  lay  in  state  at  the  foot  of  the  chancel 
steps,  the  casket  was  covered  by  a  purple  pall,  and  upon 
it  at  the  foot  lay  two  branches  of  palm,  crossed,  and  at 
the  head  the  Bishop's  miter  of  purple  velvet.  The  body 
was  clad  in  the  robes  in  which  the  Bishop  had  been  con- 
secrated before  that  altar  thirty-one  years  before.  Be- 
side him  was  the  plain  black  walnut  staff  which  he  had 
used  from  the  beginning  of  his  episcopate.  The  vestry  of 
the  church  constituted  themselves  a  guard  of  honor  over 
the  body.  Two  clergymen  stood,  one  at  the  head,  the 
other  at  the  foot,  of  the  bier,  as  watchers  through  the 
night.  During  the  day  the  church  doors  were  open, 
.  and  a  great  throng  of  people  of  all  classes,  young  and 
old,  rich  and  poor,  came  to  look  for  the  last  time  upon 
the  noble  face  of  him  they  had  so  loved. 

He  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  shadow  of  the  church  so 
dear  to  him.  Over  ninety  clergymen  were  present,  and 
letters  of  sympathy  had  been  received  from  nearly  every 
bishop  of  the  American  church.  Nine  bishops  were 
present.  The  hymns  were,  "My  faith  looks  up  to  thee," 
"The  strife  is  o'er,"  "For  all  the  saints  who  from  their 


Bishop  Coxe  57 

labors  rest,"  "  Hark!  the  sound  of  holy  voices,"  "On  the 
resurrection  morning,"  and  "Peace,  perfect  peace." 

It  was  decided  to  use  in  the  diocese  for  thirty  days 
the  prayer  composed  by  Bishop  Coxe  on  the  death  of 
Bishop  De  Lancey.  The  clergy,  vestries,  and  numerous 
church  societies  of  the  diocese  passed  beautiful  and  fit- 
ting resolutions  as  tributes  to  the  memory  of  Bishop 
Coxe,  and  both  the  secular  and  religious  press  of  the 
country  laid  their  laurels  at  the  feet  of  him  who  was  not 
only  one  of  the  most  conspicuous,  but  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  figures  in  the  Anglican  communion.  Sensi- 
tive to  every  touch  of  nature,  his  heart  responded  to 
every  human  appeal,  entering  into  and  sharing  whatever 
interested  those  with  whom  he  dealt. 

The  memorial  sermon  by  Bishop  Doane  was  preached 
in  Saint  Paul's  Church,  Buffalo,  Sunday  evening,  October 
4th,  1896,  the  text  being  from  I.  Corinthians  1:4-5:  "I 
thank  my  God  always  on  your  behalf,  for  the  grace  of 
God  which  is  given  you  by  Jesus  Christ;  that  in  every 
thing  ye  are  enriched  by  him,  in  all  utterance,  and  in 
all  knowledge."  Besides  the  hundred  clergy  of  the  dio- 
cese, clad  in  their  vestments  and  headed  by  the  bishop 
of  Albany,  there  were  present  many  clergymen  from 
other  cities,  among  them  the  rector  of  Grace  Church, 
Baltimore,  in  which  Bishop  Coxe  is  so  affectionately 
remembered  as  former  rector.  Seats  were  reserved  in 
front  for  all  the  clergy  of  different  denominations  in  the 
city,  and  there  were  many  to  pay  their  respects  to  his 
memory.  As  it  is  impossible  to  give  the  full  account 
of  this  service,  we  will  merely  quote  the  portion  of 
Bishop  Doane's  sermon  relating  to  Bishop  Coxe's  poetic 
gifts  and  utterances. 


58  History  of  Tri7tity  Church 

The  current  that  set  most  strongly  through  the  natural  temper- 
ament of  the  Bishop  was  the  poetic  current,  in  the  best  sense  of 
that  word,  and  it  had  its  spring  and  rise  neither  in  Arethusa  nor 
Castaly,  but  in  "Siloa's  brook,  which  flows  fast  by  the  oracle  of 
God." 

Now,  the  poetic  nature  is  not  only  creative,  and  not  chiefly 
imaginative ;  it  is  intensely  the  gift  of  the  seer.  Standing  as  Elisha 
did,  before  the  marvelous  sight  of  the  taking  away  of  his  master, 
the  question  whether  the  double  portion  of  that  master's  spirit 
should  come  on  him  turned  on  the  single  point — if  he  could  see 
him  when  he  was  taken  away.  And  he  did  see  him,  and  therefore 
the  mantle  of  the  prophet  fell  on  him.  And  it  is  always  so.  The 
seer,  the  man  who  sees  what  is  invisible  to  coarser  eyes,  is  prophet 
too.  For  sight  not  only  discovers  the  things  which  are  near  and 
unseen  to  others,  but  widens  all  horizons,  lifts  them,  enlarges  them, 
carries  them  out  and  on.  And  when  the  seer  speaks,  he  not  only 
reveals,  but  prophesies.  Eminently  Bishop  Coxe  had  this  gift,  for 
he  was  a  true  poet.  And  when  he  wrote  "  Dreamland  "  fifty  years 
ago,  he  was  seeing  and  prophesying.  Whatever  dreams  he  dreamed 
were  like  Jacob's,  in  a  sleep  that  was  pillowed  upon  stone,  in  much 
hardness  and  loneliness,  in  the  sense  of  divine  presence,  and  with 
the  full  realization  of  the  old  Homeric  thought,  "The  dream  is 
from  God."  We  forget,  who  have  fallen  into  the  easy  heritage 
of  religious  truths  accepted,  of  ecclesiastical  privileges  assured,  of 
the  glory  of  Catholic  theology  acknowledged,  and  of  Catholic 
worship  adopted,  we  forget  the  far-sight  and  the  foresight,  the  clear- 
ness of  wisdom  and  the  courage  of  utterance,  which  belonged  to 
the  leaders  of  fifty  years  ago.  A  thousand  familiar  and  undisputed 
things  today  were  not  only  disputed  but  denied  then ;  and  in  that 
line  of  men  of  whom  Seabury  and  Hobart  were  the  first,  and  my 
father  and  Bishop  Whittingham  their  successors  in  the  older  gen- 
eration, Bishop  Williams  and  Bishop  Coxe  were  easily  leaders  in 
the  next. 

Suspected,  discredited,  counted  disloyal  to  the  church,  de- 
nounced as  Romans  in  disguise,  these  men  were  in  the  advance 
guard ;  they  were  of  the  hope  that  seemed  at  times  forlorn.  They 
were  pioneers  who  found  and  cleared  the  way ;  and  we  who  come 
after  them  along  a  smooth  and  open  path  forget  the  risk  and  pain 
and  labor  with  which  they  won  our  liberties.  Constantly  it  has 
happened  that  the  leaders  of  one  generation  became  the  holdbacks 


Bishop  Coxe  59 

and  drags  of  the  next ;  and  the  Bishop  in  his  later  days  was  play- 
ing, to  a  degree,  the  role  of  the  men  who  distrusted  him.  But  the 
priest  who  wrote  "Dreamland,"  the  priest  who  was  filled  with  the 
beauty  of  holiness,  of  the  worship  and  reverence  due  to  God's 
house  (into  whose  sanctuary  I  believe  he  never  entered,  when  he 
could  avoid  it,  without  taking  the  shoes  of  outdoor  use  from  off  his 
feet),  the  priest  who  helped  to  restore  the  disused  matins  and  even- 
song, who  was  among  the  first  to  recognize  the  Holy  Eucharist  as 
the  chief  act  of  worship,  to  be  used  at  least  on  every  Lord's  Day, 
who  as  bishop  said  in  his  last  charge  to  his  clergy,  "The  New 
Testament  tells  us  clearly  to  hallow  the  Lord's  Day  by  the  Lord's 
Supper.  This  is  our  law  and  our  rubric,  and  to  this  reformation 
I  call  you  all,  in  God's  name";  the  priest  who  was  by  nature 
strict  in  the  observance  of  all  the  niceties  and  proprieties  and 
dignities  of  divine  service,  and  all  this  not  recently,  but  fifty  years 
ago,  is  a  man  whom  we  ought  to  honor  for  his  prophetic  power 
of  insight  and  utterance,  for  the  courage  of  his  maintained  posi- 
tion in  the  far  advance  of  the  front  rank  to  which  the  host  has  since 
come  up. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  difference  between  his  earlier  and 
later  experiences,  the  Bishop  was  fond  of  telling  a  story  of  his 
walking,  in  his  boyhood,  to  old  Saint  Luke's  Church,  New  York, 
by  a  path  which  led  across  open  fields,  on  a  Christmas  morning ; 
being  especially  drawn  there  in  order  that  he  might  hear  sung  for 
the  first  time  Doctor  Muhlenberg's  Christmas  carol,  "Shout  the 
glad  tidings,  exultantly  sing;  Jerusalem  triumphs,  Messiah  is 
King !  "  and  counting  it,  as  it  undoubtedly  was  then,  a  rich  addition 
to  the  very  scant  and  poor  collection  of  Christmas  hymns. 

And  while  he  was  somewhat  caustic  and  severe  in  his  condem- 
nation of  our  present  hymnal,  chiefly  because  the  General  Con- 
vention decided  to  put  it  between  the  same  covers  with  the  Book 
of  Common  Prayer,  he  not  only  rejoiced,  but  took  no  little  part  in 
the  first  enlargement  of  our  hymnology,  from  which,  with  most 
positive  determination,  he  absolutely  excluded  every  hymn  of  his 
own.  I  am  quite  clear  that  the  last  committee  has  been  wiser  than 
he  in  this  behalf,  in  that  we  have  given  to  the  church  for  use  in  its 
treasures  of  sacred  song  many  hymns  of  his  composing.  One  of 
them,  at  least,— "Saviour,  Sprinkle  Many  Nations,"— is  among  the 
first  of  our  Christian  lyrics,  and  among  the  most  stirring  of  our 
missionary  hymns. 


60  History  of  Trinity  Church 

One  turns  over  page  after  page  of  his  collection  of  "Christian 
Ballads,"  struck  by  the  true  prophetic  insight  of  his  inspiration  as 
well  as  by  the  sonorous  meter  and  rhythm  of  his  verse.  He  cer- 
tainly was  enriched  in  all  utterance,  both  of  the  eloquence  which 
means  outspeaking,  and  the  brilliant  powers  of  the  orator,  and 
enriched  in  the  utterance  of  true  poetic  gifts. 

I  have  spoken  of  the  felicity  of  his  utterance.  And  it  will  not, 
I  think,  seem  unnatural  if  I  seek  to  set  some  of  his  own  jeweled 
words  in  the  crown  of  honor,  some  fadeless  bay  from  his  laureate 
brow  in  the  fading  leaves  of  this  wreath  of  brotherly  affection 
which  I  am  here  to  lay  upon  his  tomb. 

As  a  specimen  of  poetical  interpretation  of  poetry,  of  appreci- 
ative knowledge  of  nature,  and  its  consecration,  in  his  view  of  it,  to 
the  service  of  God,  and  of  keen  sympathy,  almost  to  realism,  with 
the  idea  and  feeling  of  the  seasons  of  the  Christian  year,  nothing 
can  be  finer  than  his  "Carol,"  whose  text  is  the  passage  in  the 
Song  of  Songs,  "My  beloved  has  gone  down  into  his  garden," 
that  garden  being 

"  The  alleys  broad 
Of  the  Church  of  God, 
Where  Nature  is  green  for  aye." 

He  describes  the  complete  banishment  of  winter  from  the  church's 
seasons,  when  the  flowing  font 

"  Still  will  gush 
In  free,  full  flush 
At  the  cry  of  a  little  child." 

And  it  is  a  bold  thought  that  comes  to  him  when  the  hues  through 
the  colored  windows  tint  it  with  "  ruby  stain  " 

"  Of  Moses'  rod 
And  the  Rocks  of  God, 
That  flushed  in  ruddy  wine." 

Really,  the  church's  year  seems  more  actual  to  him  than  the 
seasons  of  the  outdoor  world. 

"  The  gales  through  the  woodland  aisles  " 

to  his  ear 

"  Like  the  Lord's  own  organ  blow  "; 


Bishop  Coxe  61 


and 

is 


The  bush  in  the  winter-time  in  his  greenwood  walk  " 

"  Surpliced  with  snows,  like  the  bending  priest 
That  kneels  in  the  church  to  pray." 


He  describes  a  Christian  child  in  the  church's  care  in  these 
words : 

"  Planted  by  the  altar's  pale, 

The  church,  with  catechising  art, 
Trains  to  the  chancel's  trellised  rail 
The  wandering  tendrils  of  the  heart." 

His  visit  to  Iona,  which  he  called  "a  Patmos  of  the  frozen 
north,"  stirs  in  him  the  memory  of  Seabury, 

"  Whose  hand  the  rod  of  David's  stem 
The  farthest  westward  bore," 

"Who  crossed  the  seas 
And  brought  from  distant  Aberdeen 
Gifts  of  the  old  Culdees  "; 

and  "The  Blessed  Island  "  inspires  the  play  on  names,  with  a  word 
of  truth  in  it, — 

"  Columbia  from  Columba  claims 
More  than  great  Colon  brought." 

There  are  phrases  of  his  verse  which  are  really  epigrammatic 
in  their  power.  His  description  of  an  old-time  New  England 
meeting-house  as 

"  A  pine-wood  Parthenon  or  Pnyx, 

A  hippogriff  of  art, 
By  crude  Genevan  rites  begot, 

Half  temple,  and  half  mart; 
A  type  of  changing  shifts, 

A  hall,  low  roofed  and  tinned, 
On  which  a  wooden  Babel  lifts 

Its  weather-cock  to  wind." 

Or,  in  a  more  serious  vein,  in  his  description  of  Oxford  as  contain- 
ing 

"  The  cells  where  sages  have  been  born 
And  human  lore  baptized." 


62  History  of  Trinity  Church 

What  he  himself  described  in  his  dedication  to  Doctor  Hobart 
of  the  "Christian  Ballads"  as  "the  glistening  dews  of  boyhood" 
never  dried  upon  his  brow.  The  freshness  of  his  spirit  was  peren- 
nial. Within  an  hour  of  his  death  he  was  so  absorbed  in  what  his 
companion  called  "an  illuminating  conversation  "  on  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead,  that  he  lost  all  sense  of  time  and  trains,  and  of 
the  needed  nourishment  of  food.  And  to  the  very  end  what  he 
called  the  "glow  of  his  early  vow"  rested  upon  him  like  a  halo,  in 
all  its  warmth  and  brightness. 

I  have  not  spoken  of  some  rich  utterances  of  the  Bishop  in  the 
volumes  which  he  published  from  time  to  time.  I  have  been  con- 
cerned more  with  the  poetry  of  his  younger  days,  which  he  called 
himself  "  Hymns  of  my  Boyhood,"  than  with  the  ripe  beauty  of  the 
poems  in  his  last  volume  called  "The  Paschal,"  because  the  earlier 
verses  had  in  them  the  poetic  element  of  prophecy.  And  I  have 
omitted  all  mention  of  his  "Thoughts  on  the  Services,"  and  of 
"  Apollos,"  not  from  lack  of  appreciation,  but  from  lack  of  space 
and  time  ;  gladly  acknowledging  the  debt  that  very  few  people  owe 
to  them,  as  introductions,  the  one  to  a  knowledge  of  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer,  and  the  other  to  a  recognition  of  the  place  in 
Christendom  which  is  filled  by  this  church  as  being  the  hope  and 
opportunity  of  Christian  unity  in  the  Catholicity  of  its  Protestant- 
ism and  the  Protestantism  of  its  Catholicity.  But  the  very  lovely 
memory  of  that  gray  summer  day  in  Geneva  last  July  almost 
forces  me  to  recall  what  I  am  sure  was  in  all  our  hearts  and  seemed 
to  sound  in  our  ears  at  the  simple  and  beautiful  service  of  his  burial, 
when  we  laid  him 

"  To  sleep  where  the  church  bells  aye  ring  out." 

"  Our  mother  the  church  hath  never  a  child 

To  honor  before  the  rest, 
But  she  singeth  the  same  for  mighty  kings 

And  the  veriest  babe  on  her  breast ; 
And  the  bishop  goes  down  to  his  narrow  bed 

As  the  plowman's  child  is  laid, 
And  alike  she  blesseth  the  dark-browed  sert 

And  the  chief  in  his  robe  arrayed. 
She  sprinkles  the  drops  of  the  bright  new-birth 

The  same  on  the  low  and  the  high, 
And  christens  their  bodies  with  dust  to  dust, 

When  earth  with  its  earth  must  lie. 


Bishop  Coxe  6 


o 


And  wise  is  he  in  the  glow  of  health 

Who  weaveth  his  shroud  of  rest, 
And  graveth  it  plain  on  his  coffin-plate 

That  the  dead  in  Christ  are  blessed." 

By  this  partial  quotation  from  the  complete  whole  of 
the  memorial  sermon,  we  can  realize  the  appropriateness 
of  the  text  as  applied  to  the  character  of  Bishop  Coxe — 
richness,  utterance,  knowledge. 

In  the  memory  of  his  blessed  "  falling  asleep,"  how 
beautiful  are  the  words  of  Bishop  Coxe  in  regard  to 
the  death  of  our  beloved  rector  Doctor  Ingersoll!  Of 
both  it  may  be  said,  "  The  angel  of  the  Lord  waited  for 
them  and  bore  them  up  on  a  shining  cloud  to  heaven; 
and  their  end  was  peace." 


And  then,  said  I,  one  thing  there  is 

That  I  of  the  Lord  desire, 
That  ever,  while  I  on  earth  shall  live, 

I  will  of  the  Lord  require, 
That  I  may  dwell  in  His  temple  blest 

As  long  as  my  life  shall  be, 
And  the  beauty  fair  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts 

In  the  home  of  His  glory  see. 

BISHOP  COXE. 


Christ  Church 

As  originally  designed 


Consolidation  of  Christ  Church 
with  Trinity 

IN  reaching  the  period  in  the  history  of  Trinity  Parish 
when  a  change  from  their  unfavorable  location  on 
Washington  and  Mohawk  streets  to  some  point  up- 
town seemed  imperative,  a  consolidation  of  the  two 
parishes  of  Trinity  and  Christ  Church  was  strongly 
urged;  and  early  in  1883  the  Reverend  Doctor  Van 
Bokkelen,  rector  of  Trinity  Church,  and  the  Reverend 
A.  Sidney  Dealey,  rector  of  Christ  Church,  had  repeated 
conferences  upon  the  subject.  When  they  had  formu- 
lated the  plan,  it  was  submitted  to  the  vestries  of  the 
churches,  and  a  committee  from  each  was  appointed  to 
discuss  the  feasibility  of  such  consolidation,  and,  if  prac- 
ticable, the  method  by  which  it  should  be  accomplished. 
A  long  and  somewhat  animated  discussion  ensued,  in 
which  the  various  newspapers  of  the  city  took  such  an 
active  part  that  what  at  first  was  a  matter  of  parish  con- 
cern rapidly  enlarged  into  what  seemed  to  be  of  vital 
interest  to  the  municipality. 

Many  difficulties  presented  themselves  to  the  rectors 
and  vestries,  some  of  them  of  an  intricate  legal  nature. 
There  was  a  very  strong  undercurrent  of  feeling  among 
the  parishioners  of  Christ  Church  against  the  movement, 
because  a  small  church  rarely  consolidates  successfully 
with  a  large  one.  The  congregation  was  comparatively 
a  small  one,  but  its  members  were  united  and  much  in 
earnest  in  promoting  the  prosperity  of  the  parish;    and 

e  65 


66  History  of  Trinity  Church 

by  the  hearty  cooperation  and  liberal  offerings  of  all  the 
parishioners  the  mortgage  of  ten  thousand  dollars  was 
paid  in  February,  1882,  and  Christ  Church  stood  free 
from  debt;  and  on  the  sixteenth  of  February,  1882,  the 
church  was  consecrated  by  the  Right  Reverend  Arthur 
Cleveland  Coxe,  D.  D.,  bishop  of  the  diocese.  The  ser- 
mon on  that  occasion  was  preached  by  the  Reverend  O. 
Witherspoon,  rector  of  Saint  James's  Church,  Birming- 
ham, Connecticut,  who  had  been  the  rector  of  Christ 
Church  on  its  first  organization,  and  who  came  to  rejoice 
with  his  former  parishioners  in  the  prosperity  of  the 
organization  of  which  he  had  witnessed  the  beginning. 
The  Bishop  also  expressed  to  the  congregation  the  great 
joy  of  his  heart  at  this  time,  for  it  had  been  filled  with 
anxiety,  hope,  and  fear. 

In  view  of  all  these  circumstances,  it  was  quite  nat- 
ural that  the  parishioners  of  Christ  Church  were  opposed 
to  the  consolidation.  They  were  attached  to  their  parish, 
and  felt  that  they  had  made  very  great  sacrifices  to  free 
it  from  debt;  but  the  position  of  the  church  was  not  a 
favorable  one  for  a  small  parish ;  it  was  surrounded  by  a 
population  belonging  to  other  churches,  and  was  shut  oft 
from  participation  in  the  growth  which  was  taking  place 
in  outlying  parts  of  the  city.  The  influence  of  the  Bishop 
was  thrown  in  favor  of  the  consolidation,  and  he  urged 
the  parish,  as  a  duty,  to  sink  all  personal  and  minor 
differences  and  look  at  the  matter  in  a  broad,  Christian 
spirit,  and  in  the  light  of  the  general  interest  of  the 
church. 

Finally,  all  obstacles  were  removed;  and  on  June 
14th,  1884,  Judge  Lewis  granted  a  decree  of  consolida- 
tion between  Trinity  and  Christ  Church  parishes,  and  a 


Consolidation  with  CJirist  Church  67 

new  corporation  was  organized,  to  be  known  as  Trinity 
Church,  Buffalo.  To  this  Christ  Church  gave  its  prop- 
erty on  Delaware  Avenue,  consisting  of  a  lot  eighty  by 
one  hundred  and  seventy-eight  feet,  and  the  church 
edifice,  with  all  its  other  properties  to  a  value  of  about 
sixty  thousand  dollars.  It  was  agreed  that  Trinity  Parish 
should  purchase  the  adjacent  lot  on  the  north,  eighty-five 
by  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight  feet,  and  erect  thereon 
a  building  to  cost  not  less  than  seventy-five  thousand 
dollars,  and  to  accommodate  not  less  than  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  persons.  It  was  also  agreed  that  in  the 
erection  of  the  new  Trinity  Church  "  no  encumbrance  of 
any  kind  shall  be  placed  upon  the  present  property  ot 
Christ  Church."  There  was  also  a  verbal  agreement  that 
its  church  edifice  should  always  be  known  as  "  Christ 
Chapel,"  as  an  act  of  courtesy  and  remembrance  of  the 
gift  of  the  property  to  the  new  corporation. 

The  wardens  and  vestrymen  till  the  first  election,  in 
1885,  were  to  be  selected  equally  from  Christ  Church  and 
Trinity.  The  rector  was  to  be  the  Reverend  Libertus 
Van  Bokkelen,  D.  D.,  and  the  associate  rector  the  Rev- 
erend A.  Sidney  Dealey  of  Christ  Church.  A  building 
committee  was  selected  from  the  two  congregations,  con- 
sisting of  the  two  rectors,  and  Messrs.  Rufus  L.  Howard, 
Leonidas  Doty,  Frank  W.  Fiske,  Henry  M.  Watson, 
Asaph  S.  Bemis,  Peter  C.  Doyle,  and  Samuel  D.  Colie. 

It  was  decided  to  build  the  new  church  upon  the 
same  foundation  which  was  laid  in  1869  for  Christ 
Church,  with  the  exception  of  the  southern  transept. 
Divine  worship  was  continued  by  the  rectors — the 
morning  service  at  old  Trinity  on  Washington  Street,  the 
evening  and  week-day  services  at  Christ  Church. 


68  History  of  Trinity  Church 

On  Easter  Day,  1885,  the  Reverend  A.  Sidney 
Dealey  resigned  his  position  as  associate  rector,  and 
accepted  the  charge  of  Saint  Luke's  Church,  Jamestown, 
New  York.  Thus  the  whole  duty  of  the  consolidated 
parishes  devolved  upon  the  rector  of  Trinity. 

The  new  corporation  owes  its  present  structure  and 
position  to  the  earnest  and  self-sacrificing  work  of  Doctor 
Van  Bokkelen. 

With  the  issuing  of  the  decree  of  consolidation,  the 
existence  of  Christ  Church  ceased,  and  it  has  no  further 
history. 


Note. — It  is  perhaps  permissible  to  recall  to  a  younger  generation  that 
Christ  Church  parish  was  an  offshoot  from  Saint  John's  Church,  then  situated  on 
the  corner  of  Washington  and  Swan  streets,  and  was  started  under  the  rectorship 
of  the  Reverend  Orlando  Witherspoon  in  the  year  1869.  He  was  succeeded  by 
the  Reverend  M.  C  Hyde;  and  the  third  and  last  rector  was  the  Reverend  A. 
Sidney  Dealey,  who  began  his  work  in  the  church  on  Advent  Sunday,  1879.  The 
wardens  at  that  time  were  Thomas  Dennis  and  Asher  P.  Nichols.  The  vestrymen 
were  William  G.  Fargo,  Albert  P.  Laning,  Asaph  S.  Bemis,  James  G.  Forsyth, 
Samuel  D.Colie,  Hobart  B.  Loomis,  C  Valette  Kasson,  and  Bronson  C  Rumsey. 
—  Editor. 


Libertus  Van  Bokkelen 


Reverend  Libertus  Van  Bokkelen 

1874-1886 

ON  the  resignation  of  Doctor  Ingersoll,  the  Rev- 
erend Libertus  Van  Bokkelen,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 
was  called  to  the  rectorship  of  Trinity  Church. 
He  brought  to  his  new  work  a  shrewd  business  capacity, 
a  fund  of  enthusiasm  and  energy,  great  tact  in  dealing 
with  men,  and  an  unusual  ability  in  the  pulpit.  Add  to 
this  a  sincere  and  heartfelt  desire  to  promote  the  inter- 
ests of  the  church  and  the  great  truths  of  the  Christian 
religion,  and  we  can  see  he  was  well  fitted  for  the  crisis 
in  which  he  found  himself  placed. 

He  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  July  22,  18 15, 
the  second  in  a  family  of  thirteen  children — eleven  sons 
and  two  daughters — all  of  whom  reached  adult  years. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  a  physician,  came  from  Hol- 
land in  1796,  being  exiled  by  the  French  government 
because  of  his  adherence  to  the  House  of  Orange.  He 
brought  with  him  two  sons,  the  youngest  of  whom,  the 
father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  educated  in  New 
York  as  a  merchant.  Dr.  Van  Bokkelen's  maternal  grand- 
father was  a  native  of  Wales,  and  thus  the  blood  of  two 
sturdy  nations  was  blended  in  his  veins. 

From  the  age  of  nine  he  was  educated  at  boarding 
schools.  The  last  was  the  Flushing  Institute,  under  Rev- 
erend Doctor  Muhlenberg,  whose  influence  seemed  to 
shape  his  whole  course  in  life,  and  to  whose  memory  he 

69 


70  History  of  Trinity  Church 

was  devoted.  He  was  well  qualified  to  be  a  teacher,  as  up 
to  the  year  1 864,  when  he  was  forty-nine  years  of  age, 
he  had  never  lived  outside  of  a  school  or  college,  hav- 
ing been  either  pupil,  tutor,  professor,  or  principal  during 
these  years.  In  1842  he  took  priest's  orders,  and  for  some 
years  combined  the  ministry  with  educational  work.  In 
1845,  by  invitation  of  Bishop  Whittingham,  he  went  to 
Catonsville,  Maryland,  where  he  founded  the  institution 
known  as  Saint  Timothy's  Hall,  which  achieved  great  suc- 
cess. It  accommodated  one  hundred  and  fifty  students, 
who  were  organized  under  military  discipline.  To  this 
institution  the  legislature  of  Maryland  granted  a  liberal 
charter  with  all  the  usual  collegiate  power  in  conferring 
degrees.  This  success  gave  Doctor  Van  Bokkelen  a  wide 
reputation,  and  he  was  not  only  honored  in  his  own  state, 
but  received  invitations  to  various  other  parts  of  the 
Union  to  establish  schools  and  collegiate  institutions. 

The  Civil  War  broke  up  his  associations  in  Maryland, 
as  has  been  before  alluded  to.  During  the  war  Doctor 
Van  Bokkelen  was  an  ardent,  active,  and  aggressive  Union 
man,  and  did  all  he  could  to  sustain  the  loyal  sentiment 
of  the  community  in  which  he  resided.  He  was  an  origi- 
nal Abolitionist,  and  looked  back  with  sincerest  satisfac- 
tion to  his  early  interest  in  that  cause ;  and  in  speaking 
of  it  once  said,  "  Thank  God,  I  have  lived  to  see  slavery 
abolished,  and  America  the  home  of  the  free ! " 

He  received  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws 
from  La  Fayette  and  Marshall  College,  Pennsylvania. 

At  length,  with  great  regret  on  his  own  part,  and  that 
of  the  community  of  Catonsville,  he  decided  to  remove 
to  Mount  Morris,  in  western  New  York,  where  he  re- 
mained until  called  to  the  rectorship  of  Trinity  Church. 


Reverend  Liber tus  Van  Bokkelen  7 1 

He  was  married  in  1850  to  Amelia,  youngest  daughter 
of  John  Netterville  D'Arcy,  formerly  a  leading  mer- 
chant of  Baltimore,  and  had  a  family  of  five  children. 
At  the  time  of  his  removal  to  Buffalo,  his  wife  was  in 
delicate  health,  and  died  a  few  years  later.  The  marked 
characteristic  of  the  family  was  their  loyal  and  affection- 
ate devotion  to  each  other.  The  elder  daughter  married 
and  went  to  Baltimore;  the  younger  died  quite  suddenly 
before  her  invalid  mother;  and  since  the  Doctor's  death 
his  son  Libertus,  who  had  been  ordained  a  priest  in  the 
church,  has  also  passed  to  his  reward.  Death  and  sorrow 
have  broken  up  the  once  happy  family  circle,  and  the  echo 
of  its  sadness  still  lingers  with  those  who  remain. 

Doctor  Van  Bokkelen  was  rector  of  Trinity  Church 
for  twelve  years,  and  during  that  time  added  materially 
to  its  prosperity  by  his  untiring  energy.  From  the  time 
of  his  assuming  the  rectorate  his  mind  was  fixed  on 
bringing  about  the  consolidation  of  the  two  parishes  of 
Trinity  and  Christ,  which  had  already  been  attempted 
without  success.  In  an  eloquent  sermon  which  he 
preached  on  this  subject,  he  closed  with  these  words: 
"  In  the  name  of  the  Lord,  go  forward !  Halt  no  longer 
between  two  opinions.  What  thy  hand  findeth  to  do, 
do  it  with  all  thy  might.  Count  it  a  privilege  to  be- 
gin this  work,  so  often  thought  of,  so  earnestly  desired, 
so  long  delayed.  It  will  give  you  great  joy;  it  will  im- 
part fresh  life  and  vigor  to  the  whole  church  in  Buffalo; 
it  will  arouse  enthusiasm  which  will  command  success." 

Happily  this  wise  project  was  at  length  fulfilled,  and 
Doctor  Van  Bokkelen,  while  attending  to  his  daily  parish 
duties,  added  to  them  his  consultations  with  the  vestry 
on  the  building  of  the  new  church.     The  ladies  of  the 


72  History  of  Trinity  Church 

parish  formed  a  furnishing  society,  worked  long  and 
faithfully,  and  earned  by  their  sales  sufficient  money  to 
carpet  and  cushion  the  church,  to  pay  for  the  large  rose 
window  which  was  put  in  by  La  Farge,  and  to  do  much 
towards  the  completing  of  the  guild  rooms.  All  the 
societies  of  the  church  were  in  active  working  condition. 
The  mothers'  meetings,  held  Wednesday  evenings  in  the 
Sunday  school  room,  usually  comprised  from  forty  to 
sixty  women  and  a  few  grown  boys  and  girls.  After  a 
prayer  and  the  singing  of  hymns,  the  reading  of  some 
interesting  book  closed  the  service.  There  was  also  a 
kitchen  garden  class.  A  cooperative  society  for  the  help 
of  the  poor  in  connection  with  the  Charity  Organization 
Society  was  started. 

The  Sunday  school  was  prosperous,  and  the  congrega- 
tion seemed  at  last  roused  to  interest  and  enthusiasm  in 
church  work.  The  sale  of  the  old  church  property  was 
made  to  the  Liedertafel  Musical  Association,  and  the  pur- 
chase of  the  new  lot  adjoining  Christ  Chapel  on  Delaware 
Avenue  having  been  satisfactorily  accomplished,  rector, 
congregation,  and  workmen  were  all  busily  preparing  for 
the  removal. 

On  July  22d,  1884,  the  corner  stone  of  new  Trinity 
Church  was  laid.  The  lot  on  Delaware  Avenue  adjoin- 
ing Christ  Church  had  been  secured  at  the  price  of  six- 
teen thousand  dollars,  and  the  same  foundation  was  used 
that  years  before  had  been  begun  for  Christ  Church. 
The  plans  for  this  church, made  in  1869  by  Arthur  Gilman, 
of  New  York,  were  adapted  to  the  new  requirements  by 
Mr.  Cyrus  K.  Porter;  and  Messrs.  Charles  Berrick  and 
John  Briggs,  contractors,  were  engaged  to  construct  the 
building.    The  ceremony  of  laying  the  corner  stone  was 


Reverend  Liberties  Van  Bokkelen  j^ 

participated  in  by  Bishop  Coxe,  twenty  clergymen,  the 
surpliced  choirs  of  Trinity  and  Saint  Luke's,  the  vestries 
of  Trinity  and  Christ  churches,  and  the  members  of  the 
building  committee;  and  witnessed  by  a  congregation  of 
several  hundred  people.  At  five  o'clock  the  imposing 
ecclesiastical  procession  issued  from  the  chapel  and 
proceeded  to  the  platform  erected  for  the  ceremonial. 
After  an  appropriate  service  the  Reverend  A.  Sidney 
Dealey  read  a  list  of  the  articles  deposited  in  the  box 
beneath  the  corner  stone.  There  was  a  Hebrew  Bible, 
procured  by  Doctor  Van  Bokkelen,  a  book  of  common 
prayer  and  a  hymnal  owned  by  Doctor  Ingersoll,  and 
also  the  last  sermon  preached  by  him  as  rector  of  old 
Trinity,  April,  1874.  When  the  stone  had  been  lowered 
into  its  place,  the  bishop,  clergy,  and  choristers  returned 
to  the  chapel,  where  the  ritual  was  concluded  with 
prayer  and  benediction. 

A  new  organ  had  been  placed  in  the  old  church, 
which  was  ultimately  removed  to  the  new  one.  A 
plan  for  choral  singing  was  made  by  the  Doctor,  and 
boys  were  put  in  training  for  it.  Through  his  influence, 
also,  many  memorial  gifts  were  promised.  All  of  the 
chancel  windows  were  to  be  memorials,  and  many  of  those 
in  the  nave  were  engaged  for  the  same  purpose.  It  is 
greatly  to  be  regretted  that  the  original  plan  of  the 
building,  as  made  by  the  vestry  of  Christ  Church,  could 
not  have  been  carried  out;  but  the  earnest  desire  of  the 
rector  to  take  his  leave  from  the  new  church,  and  the 
funds  not  being  sufficient  to  perfect  the  original  plans,  it 
was  decided  to  omit  the  clerestory  and  to  leave  the  tower 
for  future  consideration.  The  new  church,  though  artis- 
tically lacking  much  in  these  respects,  has  a  most  lux- 


74  History  of  Trinity  Church 

urious  and  pleasing  interior,  its  large  chancel  and  wide 
aisles  being  particularly  adapted  to  all  the  needs  of  a 
large  congregation. 

We  find  in  one  of  the  newspapers  of  this  date  a  para- 
graph from  Bishop  Coxe,  which  seems  to  embody  all  the 
facts  then  under  consideration,  and  will  take  the  history 
of  the  church  on  towards  completion : 

The  new  church  of  Trinity  Parish  in  this  city  is  rapidly  com- 
ing to  a  state  of  completion  ;  but  owing  to  the  necessary  delay  of 
the  decorative  work  it  will  not  be  ready  for  divine  service  (nor  per- 
haps is  it  desirable  that  it  should  be  so)  until  Easter.  That  will  be 
the  appropriate  day  for  such  a  joyful  event,  and  will  associate  it 
with  the  rare  occasion  of  an  Easter  falling  on  its  lowest  possible 
limit,  the  twenty-fifth  of  April. 

The  Reverend  Doctor  Van  Bokkelen,  to  whose  indefatigable 
labors  this  consummation  is  primarily  due,  has  from  the  beginning 
of  this  enterprise  kept  before  his  congregation  the  fact  that  he  con- 
siders it  not  only  the  crowning  of  his  work  in  Buffalo,  but  the  nat- 
ural conclusion  of  his  work  in  the  parish.  ' '  I  wish  its  future, ' '  he  has 
often  said,  "  to  be  intrusted  to  a  younger  clergyman,  and  one  whose 
full  strength  and  prime  can  be  devoted  to  its  development  under  its 
new  conditions  and  enlarged  opportunity  for  usefulness." 

According  to  his  already  avowed  intention,  therefore, 
the  Doctor  submitted  his  formal  resignation  to  the  ves- 
try, to  take  effect  after  Easter,  1886. 

Doctor  Van  Bokkelen  was  a  very  manly  sort  of  man, 
full  of  the  courage  of  a  great  many  honest  convictions 
with  regard  to  his  duty  to  the  state  as  well  as  the  church, 
and  consequently  did  not  escape  criticism ;  but  he  achieved 
a  great  work  for  Trinity  Church,  and  should  be  honored 
for  it. 

Many  joyous  as  well  as  sad  recollections  cluster  about 
old  Trinity's  venerable  edifice.     Some  notable  weddings, 


Reverend  Liberties  Van  Bokkclen  7  5 

beautiful  in  the  grouping  of  fair  young  faces,  stand  forth 
in  memory's  picture.  That  of  Miss  Jennie  Cary  to  Law- 
rence Rumsey  formed  a  galaxy  of  beauty ;  and  one  of  its 
touching  features  was  the  assembling  in  the  vestibule  of 
the  bride's  infant  scholars  of  the  Sunday  school,  who 
strewed  flowers  in  her  pathway  as  she  passed  to  the  car- 
riage. 

The  wedding  of  Miss  Anna  Dobbins  to  Mr.  James 
P.  White  was  a  notably  brilliant  event.  The  celebrated 
singer  Clara  Louise  Kellogg  was  a  bridesmaid.  Many 
more  such  pictures  hang  on  memory's  wall  which  we 
would  gladly  photograph  for  the  reader. 

Among  the  shadows  rests  the  memory  of  a  most  at- 
tractive young  couple  but  a  few  years  married,  who  were 
happy  in  their  lives  and  in  their  death  were  not  divided 
—  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arthur  Pease,  who  met  their  fate  to- 
gether, February  5th,  1871,  in  a  terrible  railroad  accident 
on  the  Hudson  River.  The  two  coffins  rested  side  by 
side  in  front  of  the  altar  where  as  children  they  had 
knelt.  The  service  was  sad  beyond  expression,  and  the 
sympathetic  audience  was  deeply  affected  by  it. 

Another  victim  of  the  same  disaster  —  also  a  member 
of  Trinity  Church  —  was  Mr.  Rollin  Germain,  son-in-law 
of  Judge  Philander  Bennett.  The  funeral  services  were 
conducted  by  the  Reverend  Doctor  Ingersoll  from  the 
family  residence.  The  pallbearers  were  Messrs.  Henry  W. 
Rogers,  James  O.  Putnam,  Benjamin  H.  Austin,  junior, 
James  D.  Sawyer,  Jesse  C.  Dann,  Samuel  G.  Cornell, 
Robert  Dunbar,  and  William  Lovering.  Mr.  Germain  was 
a  well-known  and  much  respected  citizen,  a  lawyer  by  pro- 
fession, and  with  a  mechanical  genius  which  had  obtained  a 
high  reputation.     Two  of  the  fastest  gunboats  belonging 


j6  History  of  Trinity  Church 

to  the  American  navy  at  that  time,  the  Avenger  and  the 
Vindicator,  were  built  by  him  on  a  plan  of  his  own.  Mr. 
Germain  had  a  very  remarkable  dream  a  short  time 
before  his  death,  which  seemed  to  impress  him  as  a 
premonition,  and  which  he  spoke  of  to  several  friends. 
After  his  death  some  lines  were  found  in  his  trunk  de- 
scribing this  experience  in  rhyme,  in  which  the  horrors 
of  water  and  fire  both  appear.  It  was  published  as  a 
remarkable  fact  in  some  of  the  journals  of  the  day. 
Several  other  well-known  persons  from  Buffalo  were 
among  the  sufferers,  but  those  mentioned  were  the  only 
ones  members  of  Trinity.  The  clergymen  of  the  different 
churches  of  the  city  all  dwelt  upon  the  terrible  disaster 
in  their  sermons  of  the  Sunday  following. 

Perhaps  in  one  sense  sadder  still  was  the  memorial 
service  for  Mary  Knowlton  Mixer,  who  met  a  similar 
fate  at  Ashtabula.  The  choir  of  Saint  Paul's  Church 
united  with  that  of  Trinity  to  mourn  one  of  whom  Doctor 
Shelton  spoke  as  "the  sweet  singer  of  our  Israel,"  and 
together  the  two  choirs  sang  the  service.  Miss  Underhill, 
the  soprano,  gave  Mendelssohn's  "  Song  of  Parting,"  the 
words  of  which  were  the  last  ever  sung  by  Miss  Mixer. 

"Calmly  the  waves  of  ocean  roll 
Over  my  fainting,  fleeting  soul, 
Parting  earth's  friendships  and  rending  in  twain 
Hearts  that  will  soon  be  united  again 
On  heaven's  celestial  plain. 

Swiftly  before  a  purer  day, 

Fade  now  yon  golden  stars  away  ; 

Lo  !  realms  of  brightness  now  burst  on  my  sight, 

Fast  I  am  speeding  from  regions  of  night 

To  heaven's  eternal  light." 


Reverend  Libei'tus  Van  Bokkelen  7  7 

The  Reverend  Doctor  Van  Bokkelen's  sermon  was 
most  feeling  and  appropriate,  and  kind  hearts  and  loving 
hands  brought  to  the  altar  lilies  and  roses  for  remem- 
brance. 

But  how  can  we  even  name  either  in  joy  or  in  sorrow 
the  many  notable  events  which  have  occurred  within 
these  walls !  To  pass  down  the  aisles  and  count  the 
missing  faces  of  those  whose  counsels  and  support  have 
led  the  church  through  the  sixty  years  of  its  existence 
would  be  to  record  many  of  the  most  influential  names  of 
Buffalo,  and,  alas  !  to  recall  the  tragedies  of  many  homes. 

The  church  which  we  have  builded  stands  today 
Memorial  of  those  far,  far  away, 
Whose  haunting  presence  still  so  sweet,  so  strong, 
Through  its  broad  aisles  and  graceful  arches  throng, 
And  solemn  melodies  repeat  the  thought 
Our  love  and  faith  together  have  inwrought, 
Moving  each  soul  with  reverence  to  pray 
As  the  uplifted  cross  goes  on  its  way. 

The  last  Easter  day  (1885)  which  the  congregation 
passed  in  the  old  church  was  a  memorable  one.  A  no- 
tice had  been  printed  in  the  daily  papers  as  follows : 

It  is  desired  that  every  member  of  the  parish  will  take  part  in 
the  farewell  services,  and  will  aid  the  committee  of  decoration  by 
contributing  money,  flowers,  or  personal  assistance,  to  make  this 
shrine  of  many  memories  beautiful  for  the  last  time. 

The  newspaper  account  of  the  decorations  says : 

The  display  of  flowers  at  Trinity  Episcopal  Church  is  immense. 
Every  window  of  this  old-fashioned  sanctuary  is  a  miniature  flower 
garden.    The  chancel  is  literally  packed  with  flowers.     The  font 


7  8  History  of  Trinity  Church 

seems  to  stand  in  the  midst  of  a  bouquet  of  calla  lilies.  The  altar 
is  festooned  with  smilax  and  decorated  with  choice  roses  and  car- 
nations. When  the  clusters  of  candles,  which  are  on  and  around 
the  altar,  are  lighted  at  this  morning's  service,  the  sight  cannot  be 
other  than  exceedingly  beautiful.  As  one  looked  upon  the  scene 
yesterday  afternoon,  he  fancied  that  the  ladies  must  have  felt  much 
affection  for  the  church  in  which  they  have  kept  so  many  pious 
Easters,  and  were  determined  that  it  should  put  on  its  most  beauti- 
ful garments  now  that  they  do  not  expect  to  keep  another  Easter 
within  its  walls.  The  decorations  were  under  the  direction  of  Mrs. 
S.  F.  Mixer,  who  was  assisted  by  a  dozen  or  two  of  the  ladies. 

It  was  decided  to  remove  from  the  old  place  of  wor- 
ship July  5th,  1885,  and  to  hold  service  in  Christ  Chapel 
until  the  following  Easter  Day,  when  the  new  church 
would  be  formally  opened.  The  last  services  were  solemn 
and  impressive.  Loving  hands  decorated  the  old  church 
with  the  tenderness,  and  with  much  of  the  same  sorrow, 
as  they  would  have  laid  flowers  upon  a  grave.  The 
windows  were  banked  with  wild  and  cultivated  flowers; 
the  altar  was  a  mass  of  pond  lilies,  roses,  and  greenery. 
The  lectern  was  draped  with  green,  and  the  chancel  steps 
were  bordered  with  potted  plants  and  large  vases  of  flow- 
ers placed  en  masse.  The  baptismal  font  was  filled  with 
fragrant  blossoms,  and  over  the  chancel  hung  a  floral  tri- 
angle (the  emblem  of  Trinity)  bearing  the  dates  1836- 
1885,  and  the  inscription  "Our  Sacred  Dead."  Most  of 
the  clergymen  of  the  city  were  present. 

We  have  space  for  only  a  portion  of  the  eloquent  ser- 
mon of  Bishop  Coxe,  from  the  text  in  Ecclesiastes,  "To 
every  thing  there  is  a  season,  and  a  time  to  every  purpose 
under  the  heaven:  a  time  to  be  born,  and  a  time  to  die; 
a  time  to  plant,  and  a  time  to  pluck  up  that  which  is 
planted." 


Reverend  Liber  tits  Van  Bokkelen  79 

I  envy  not  the  feelings  of  any  man  capable  of  reflection  on  the 
histories  summed  up  in  a  moment  like  this  who  does  not  deeply 
feel  that  it  is  a  solemn  thing  to  hear  and  to  join  in  these  offices  with- 
in these  walls  for  the  last  time.  To  me,  for  obvious  reasons,  noth- 
ing presents  itself  with  more  solemnity  than  the  scene  which  imag- 
ination conjures  up  upon  that  nineteenth  day  of  January,  1843,  when 
the  work  began  within  these  walls.  I  seem  to  see  the  noble  figure,  the 
splendid  presence,  of  my  saintly  predecessor,  and  to  hear  the  voice 
with  which  at  yonder  door  he  began  the  solemn  office  of  the  church, 
the  ministration  of  consecration  of  these  walls.  Nay,  I  seem  to  see 
him  as  when  I  first  beheld  him  in  the  robes  of  his  episcopate,  goodly, 
and  among  many  brethren  chief,  reciting  those  splendid  words  of 
the  psalmist,  "Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates  ;  and  be  ye  lift  up,  ye 
everlasting  doors;  and  the  King  of  glory  shall  come  in." 

What  he  thus  came  to  plant,  after  grafting  the  vigorous  shoot 
and  bearing  much  fruit  to  these  many  years,  it  is  my  humble  and  in 
some  sense  painful  duty  to  pluck  up.  Painful  it  would  be  beyond 
everything,  were  it  not  for  the  thought  that  in  plucking  this  up  I 
merely  carry  on  the  work  which  he  then  began,  and  which  it  would 
have  warmed  his  noble  heart  to  foresee,  these  walls  giving  place  to 
nobler  walls,  enlarging  the  place  of  the  habitation  of  this  congrega- 
tion, and  effecting  a  transference  well  worthy  to  correspond  with  the 
closing  collect  of  consecration,  that  there  "the  worship  of  God  may 
be  continued  throughout  all  generations." 

This  momentary  retrospect  makes  exceedingly  pointed  the  lan- 
guage which  introduces  the  text,  "For  everything  there  is  a  season." 
We  are  invited  to  reflect  for  a  moment  on  the  generation  that  has 
been  born,  and  the  generation  that  has  passed  away  since  this  work 
began.  The  elders  from  time  to  time  die ;  another  generation  has 
found  "time  to  be  born,"  and  children  of  the  third  generation  are 
here  today  joining  in  this  solemnity  as  those  who  will  tell  a  genera- 
tion yet  to  come,  and  in  the  next  century,  the  history  of  this  day  and 
what  they  remember  of  the  old  Trinity  Church.  "A  time  to  be 
born,  and  a  time  to  die !"  Yes,  I  suppose  that  all  those  who  ac- 
companied the  Bishop  in  consecrating  this  place  —  I  mean  as  rever- 
end brethren,  who  then  in  goodly  array  entered  with  him  into  the 
solemnity  of  that  occasion— have  passed  away.  Surely  none  remain 
of  those  who  were  then  resident  in  the  city,  and  perhaps  none  who 
were  then  part  of  the  clergy  of  his  diocese.  We  look  back,  then,  on 
our  predecessors  to  the  silent  tomb.  We  are  assembled  here  today 
in  recognition  of  the  fact  given  in  the  text. 


80  History  of  Trinity  Church 

These  walls  were  reared  in  the  appointed  time.  It  was  a  time 
when  the  congregation  was  feeble  and  the  people  were  not  wealthy ; 
it  was  a  time  when  they  were  young  and  energetic  and  active,  and 
ready  to  make  a  beginning.  Then  they  planted,  and  the  building 
has  grown  and  has  borne  its  increase.  Oh,  how  solemn  is  the  in- 
quiry, In  what  proportion  have  we  helped  in  that  increase? 

In  conclusion  the  Bishop  implored  his  brethren  enter- 
ing the  place  of  the  Lord  to  discharge  well  their  tremen- 
dous responsibilities  in  this  regard  for  the  glory  of  God. 
In  the  different  stages  of  his  own  personal  history  he  had 
always  found  something  intensely  solemn  in  the  closing 
up  of  any  relation, —  leaving  the  home  of  his  boyhood  and 
the  watchful  care  of  father  and  mother  to  enter  college 
life;  or,  again,  leaving  college  for  manhood's  duties,  or  the 
city  of  his  birth,  or  the  winding  up  of  a  ministry. 

"And  now,"  said  he,  "the  lengthening  shadows  of 
life's  evening  are  sailing  over  me  and  I  must  reflect  how 
soon  the  great  close  must  come." 

The  clergy,  headed  by  the  Bishop,  then  left  the  chan- 
cel and  proceeded  to  the  vestibule,  returning  as  the  Bishop 
read  the  ninetieth  psalm,  while  the  congregation  joined 
responsively.  Prayers  having  been  offered,  the  Bishop 
read  the  formal  document,  signed  with  his  own  seal,  de- 
claring the  secularization  of  the  building  and  its  release 
from  canonical  jurisdiction.  The  excellent  musical  part 
of  the  service  included  the  Cantata  Domine  in  E,  by 
Buck,  Benedicite,  chant,  hymn  in,  and  a  fine  offertory 
anthem,  the  "Pilgrim's  March,"  from  "Tannhauser." 
Hymn  297,  sung  to  the  tune  of  Old  Hundred,  was  gener- 
ally participated  in  by  the  large  congregation.  The 
Nunc  Dimittis  was  solemnly  sung  by  the  quartet,  and 
then  the   congregation    passed   out   for   the  last   time, 


Reverend  Liberties  Van  Bokkelen  8 1 

while  the  organ  played  a  march  from  Gounod's  "Ro- 
maine."  It  was  an  impressive  service,  long  to  be  remem- 
bered in  the  annals  of  the  Episcopal  churches  of  Buffalo. 
The  farewell  words  of  Doctor  Van  Bokkelen  to  his 
congregation  were  preached  in  Trinity  Chapel,  Easter 
even,  1886,  from  the  comforting  words  of  the  Savior 
according  to  Saint  John,  "  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from 
the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me."  The  opening  sen- 
tences of  the  sermon  were  an  exposition  of  the  text  as 
suitable  to  the  solemn  incidents  of  the  Savior's  bitter 
passion  and  precious  death.  The  concluding  part  di- 
rected the  attention  of  the  congregation  to  the  three 
crosses  which  were  erected  on  Calvary  more  than  eight- 
een centuries  ago,  and  concluded  with  an  earnest  appeal 
to  his  parishioners  to  choose  the  right  way  and  accept 
salvation,  that  life  might  be  happy,  death  glorious,  and 
eternity  a  season  of  everlasting  joyfulness.  Before  the 
closing  benediction  the  retiring  rector  advanced  towards 
the  congregation  and  said: 

I  have  preached  to  you,  my  friends,  my  last  sermon,  and  I  have 
a  few  words  to  say. 

First :  I  wish  to  thank  all  those  of  this  congregation  who  have 
by  word  or  deed  shown  me  any  kindness.  I  wish  to  thank  all  of 
those  who  by  their  thoughtfulness  have  made  any  member  of  my 
now  diminished  household  happy.  Those  acts  I  will  always  bear 
in  kindly  remembrance,  while  those  who  have  extended  them  to 
me  and  mine  will  always  be  remembered  as  my  friends.  May  God 
reward  you  for  those  good  deeds  a  hundredfold. 

Second:  I  wish  to  say  that  my  experience  as  rector  of  the 
church  in  connection  with  the  choir,  which  has  so  important  a  part 
in  these  services,  has  been  not  only  most  agreeable  but  somewhat 
peculiar.  You  are  accustomed  to  hear  that  discord  often  comes 
into  a  church  through  the  choir.  It  has  never  been  so  during  my 
twelve  years'  rectorship.  Those  who  have  been  selected  to  sing 
f 


82  History  of  Trinity  Church 

praises  of  Almighty  God  seem  to  have  realized  that  they  were 
engaged  in  a  solemn  and  pious  duty.  Harmony  and  peace  always 
prevailed,  and  I  have  found  not  only  comfort,  but  joy  in  knowing 
that  out  of  clean  hearts  and  right  minds  this  beautiful  portion  of  our 
service  was  being  rendered.  I  wish  to  thank  the  members  of  the 
choir,  and  especially  him  who  has  been  connected  with  the  choir 
as  leader  during  my  entire  rectorship  [Charles  F.  Hager],  to  whose 
amiability  and  earnestness  I  am  largely  indebted. 

Third :  1  wish  to  thank  most  heartily  those  ladies  of  the  con- 
gregation who  have  been  members  of  the  Parish  Aid  Society,  and 
have  helped  me  in  my  work  among  the  poor.  Most  faithfully  have 
they  labored,  and  through  their  diligence  and  kindness  I  have 
been  able  to  make  many  a  poor  home  comfortable,  to  clothe  many 
children,  and  to  increase  the  joys  of  many  a  poor  mother.  You, 
ladies,  have  always  been  ready  to  follow  my  guidance  in  the  distri- 
bution of  your  alms,  and  through  you  Trinity  Church  has  a  loving 
name  and  a  sweet  fragrance  in  the  homes  of  the  poor.  Thus  you 
have  strengthened  and  encouraged  your  pastor.  Through  your 
missionary  organization  you  have  sent  supplies  to  distant  homes 
of  those  who  are  laboring  in  the  poor  parishes  of  our  church,  and 
have  made  glad  many  households  of  faithful  servants  of  the  Lord, 
otherwise  but  scantily  provided  for.  The  hours  passed  with  you 
while  at  work  will  always  be  fresh  in  my  memory  ;  and  may  God 
make  the  recollection  of  them  to  you  as  to  me. 

Asking  the  divine  blessing  on  you  all,  I  have  spoken  my  last 
word. 

In  his  many  notable  sermons,  in  his  public  addresses 
connected  with  various  questions  of  the  day,  in  his  inter- 
course with  his  brethren  of  the  clergy,  Doctor  Van  Bok- 
kelen  always  won  golden  opinions.  Liberal  in  his  views, 
generous  in  his  impulses,  in  sympathy  with  all  efforts  to 
improve  and  benefit  humanity,  he  laid  down  his  work 
with  honor  to  himself  and  the  respect  of  the  whole 
community. 


Old  Trinity 


An  Easter  Day  Service 

March  28,  1880 

WE  give  below  a  small  portion  of  a  very  elabo- 
rate description  of  the  church  decorations  on 
this  occasion,  taken  from  the  Buffalo  Courier 
of  March  29,  1880.  The  principal  event  of  the  day  was 
the  dedication  of  the  ewer  and  font  cover,  on  which  are 
inscribed  the  names  of  sixty  children  who  had  been  bap- 
tized by  Doctor  Van  Bokkelen.  The  grown-up  children 
may  be  pleased  to  see  their  names  so  early  associated 
with  works  of  devotion  and  charity.  The  rosebuds 
which  were  presented  to  the  congregation  were  from  the 
greenhouse  of  the  late  John  A.  Mixer  of  Forestville, 
Chautauqua  County,  whose  heart  and  hand  were  ever 
open  to  cheer  and  bless. 

The  floral  decorations  at  old  Trinity  were  of  the  most  elaborate 
character,  and  during  its  long  and  eventful  existence  this  ancient 
edifice  never  looked  lovelier.  In  fact,  the  display  of  rare  flowers, 
and  the  exquisite  blending  of  buds  and  blossoms,  together  with 
smilax,  ivy,  and  evergreens,  quite  surpassed  all  previous  efforts. 

Immediately  on  entering  the  church  the  worshiper  was  sur- 
prised to  find  that  the  decorations  began  in  the  vestibule.  At  the 
base  of  the  stairs  leading  to  the  gallery,  on  either  side,  two  huge 
banks  of  potted  plants  were  arranged  in  a  graceful  manner.  These 
banks  of  plants  formed  an  appropriate  background  for  the  eight 
little  girls,  four  on  either  side,  who  stood  at  white  cloth-covered 
tables,  and  presented  to  every  person  who  entered  the  church  a 
little  boutonniere  composed  of  a  rosebud,  a  carnation,  and  a  piece 
of  evergreen.    The  rosebud  is  symbolical  of  the  resurrection,  and 

83 


84  History  of  Trinity  Church 

the  evergreen  is  a  symbol  of  immortality.  This  is  a  custom  of  the 
Greek  Church  on  Easter  Day  festivals,  and  is  the  first  occasion  on 
which  the  custom  has  been  introduced  in  the  city.  It  was  prettily 
done,  and  when  the  church  was  filled  by  the  congregation,  each 
one  wearing  a  symbol  on  his  breast,  the  sight  was  an  interesting 
one. 

The  congregation  was  very  large,  every  seat  being  occupied, 
while  many,  being  unable  to  obtain  accommodation,  were  obliged 
to  seek  other  houses  of  worship.  The  entire  service  was  conducted 
by  the  rector,  Reverend  L.  Van  Bokkelen,  D.  D.,  who  preached  a 
sermon  and  subsequently  administered  the  holy  communion  to  a 
great  number  of  communicants. 

As  has  been  the  custom  for  several  years,  the  ten  windows 
were  transformed  into  objects  of  great  beauty  by  being  filled  with 
flowering  plants  and  curtained  with  smilax  and  ivy.  The  chande- 
liers, pillars  of  the  chancel,  front  of  the  organ  gallery,  and,  in  fact, 
every  available  point  in  the  church,  were  bright  with  color,  and  the 
altar  was  a  bank  of  flowers.  Numerous  memorial  pieces  lent  their 
beauty  and  sacredness  to  the  scene. 

The  solid  oaken  cover  to  the  font,  together  with  the  polished 
brass  baptismal  ewer  and  baptismal  bowl  of  silver,  were  presented 
to  the  church  yesterday  morning  by  sixty  children  of  the  parish  who 
have  been  baptized  by  the  present  rector.  The  silver  baptismal 
bowl  within  the  font  was  a  memorial  of  Louise  White,  and  was  ap- 
propriately engraved.  During  the  morning  service  these  articles  of 
ecclesiastical  furniture  were  formally  presented  to  the  congregation 
by  the  rector  as  the  gift  of  the  lambs  of  the  flock,  with  an  expres- 
sion of  the  hope  that  they  would  not  only  equal,  but  surpass  the 
zeal  of  their  parents  in  their  efforts  to  make  Trinity  Parish  not  only 
useful  to  its  own  members,  but  to  every  one  who  finds  a  home  in 
the  city  of  Buffalo.  An  appropriate  prayer  of  dedication  of  the 
gift  was  offered,  and  a  prayer  for  the  children  of  the  church  was  also 
given.  On  the  brass  mountings  of  the  oaken  cover  the  names  of 
the  sixty  little  people  were  handsomely  engraved  and  are  as  fol- 
lows :  Emily  Seymour  Coit,  Julia  Townsend  Coit,  Charles  Town- 
send  Coit,  Edward  Movius  Sicard,  Josephine  Hunt  Sicard,  James 
Cleveland  Fowler,  Henry  Silas  Fowler,  Amelia  Blanchard  Huff, 
James  Whitford  Huff,  Arnold  Beach  Watson,  Charlotte  Miriam 
Kip,  Frances  Anne  Kip,  Elizabeth  Wilkes  Wilkeson,  Kate  Wilke- 
son,  Evelyn  Rumsey,  Julia  Cary,  Sarah  Cary,  Florence  Louise  De 


An  Easter  Day  Service  85 

Laney,  Frances  Duren  De  Laney,  Sherman  Jewett  Williams,  Marie 
Louisa  Howard,  Marion  Spaulding,  Louise  Holbrook  Foster, 
Charlotte  Blossom,  Robert  Pliny  Hayes,  Francis  John  Tyler,  Mil- 
dred Martha  Gratwick,  Edna  Granger,  Clark  Potter  Read,  John 
Henry  Vought,  Gibson  Tenny  Williams,  Margaret  Turner  Williams, 
Lombard  Williams,  Martha  Tenny  Williams,  Lilian  Fairchild, 
Frank  Currier  Perew,  Alice  Sophia  Perew,  Robert  Jackman  Perew, 
Grace  Albertine  Perew,  Manson  Loring  Fiske,  Harold  Spaulding 
Sidway,  Clarence  Spaulding  Sidway,  Frank  St.  John  Sidway,  Edith 
Sidway,  Clarence  Alexis  Evstaphieve,  Harrison  Williams,  Mary 
Stedman  Williams,  Gordon  Williams,  Lauren  Woodruff  Winslow, 
Caroline  Grandy  Winslow,  Seymour  Penfield  White,  Louise  White, 
James  Piatt  White,  Mary  Louise  Winslow,  Henry  Clark  Winslow, 
Gertrude  Laverack,  Howard  Cowing  Laverack,  William  Harold 
Laverack,  Stephen  Dutton  Clarke,  Charles  Dutton  Clarke,  Rodney 
Dennis  Hall,  Hattie  Gertrude  Mason,  Ernest  Miner  Fowler. 

The  music  was  the  best  ever  given  at  an  Easter  festival  at 
Trinity  Church,  each  member  of  the  quartet  and  choir  sustaining 
their  parts  in  admirable  style.  It  was  solid  church  music,  enthusi- 
astically rendered  without  any  attempt  to  exhibit  the  talent  of  any- 
solo  performer. 

The  choral  service  took  place  at  half  past  three  o'clock,  and 
was  largely  attended.  The  Sunday  school  entered  the  church  in 
procession,  each  class  carrying  its  own  banner  and  singing,  "On- 
ward, Christian  Soldiers."  The  regular  service  then  proceeded, 
and  consisted  of  Easter  carols  by  the  Sunday  school  and  choir. 
The  children  of  the  Sunday  school  are  all  counted  members  of  the 
choir,  and  are  regularly  trained  to  sing  the  musical  parts  of  the  ser- 
vice by  members  of  the  congregation  who  wish  to  bring  about  the 
custom  of  congregational  singing. 

During  the  service  an  offering  was  made  for  the  fund  to  endow 
a  cot  for  a  sick  child  in  the  General  Hospital.  Doctor  Van  Bokke- 
len  explained  the  purpose  of  the  endowment  and  said  that  the 
children  had  already  raised  seven  hundred  dollars,  which  is  now 
drawing  interest.  It  is  hoped  that  the  fund  can  be  increased  to 
two  thousand  dollars,  which  upon  interest  will  be  sufficient  to  pro- 
vide for  the  requirements  of  the  cot.  The  cot  is  intended  to  be 
used  for  any  child  not  afflicted  with  chronic  and  incurable  disease, 
and  is  for  the  treatment  of  indigent  sick  children.  The  prospects 
are  indeed  favorable  that  the  plan  will  succeed. 


'Tis  raised  in  beauty  from  the  dust, 

And  'tis  a  goodly  pile ! 
So  takes  our  infant  church,  I  trust, 

Her  own  true  stamp  and  style. 
As  birds  put  forth  their  own  attire, 

As  shells  o'er  sea-nymphs  grow, 
'Tis  ours — nave,  chancel,  aisle,  and  spire, 

And  not  a  borrowed  show. 

EISHOP  COXE. 


Francis   Lobdcll 


Reverend  Francis  Lobdell 

1887 

WITH  the  settlement  of  Trinity  congregation  in 
its  new  edifice,  and  the  acceptance  of  its  rec- 
torship by  Doctor  Francis  Lobdell,  a  new  era 
of  prosperity  dawned  upon  the  parish.  The  women  of 
the  parish  had  worked  nobly  to  provide  means  for  fur- 
nishing the  church;  the  location  made  it  central  for  the 
majority  of  its  members;  and  the  relations  between  the 
two  consolidated  parishes  made  the  union  advantageous 
to  both. 

Four  years  later,  on  the  death  of  Mrs.  James  McCredie, 
it  was  found  that  she  had  bequeathed  her  beautiful  resi- 
dence on  Delaware  Avenue,  within  a  few  doors  of  Trinity 
Church,  to  her  beloved  parish.  Thus  through  her  de- 
voted love  and  generosity  Trinity  Parish  owns  a  hand- 
some rectory;  and  our  dear  rector  and  his  interesting 
family  have  a  permanent  home  among  us,  in  one  of  the 
most  convenient  and  desirable  quarters  of  the  city. 

The  tenth  anniversary  of  Doctor  Lobdell's  rectorate 
occurred  recently,  and  we  have  obtained  his  permission 
to  add  to  our  records  the  sermon  he  preached  on  that 
occasion,  realizing  that  it  would  be  the  best  and  most 
complete  history  that  could  be  given  of  the  church's  pro- 
gress in  the  last  ten  years,  for  the  prosperity  of  which  we 
have  great  cause  for  thankfulness. 

87 


88  History  of  Trinity  Church 

Tenth  Anniversary  Sermon  * 

They  dwelled  there  about  ten  years. — Ruth  i:  4. 

Ten  years:  the  tenth  of  a  century:  one  sixth  of  the 
years  of  the  history  of  this  parish!  Ten  circuits  of  the 
Church's  order  from  Advent  to  Advent!  Each  of  us  ten 
years  older,  and  ten  years  nearer  our  eternal  home!  In- 
fants whom  I  baptized  are  almost  ready  for  confirmation. 
Children  have  grown  up  to  manhood  and  womanhood, 
and  the  effects  of  age  are  seen  in  those  who  ten  years 
ago  were  in  the  prime  of  life.  Change  has  come  over  us 
all.     What  has  it  wrought  in  us? 

Early  in  January,  1887,  Bishop  Coxe  wrote  to  me  ask- 
ing if  I  would  accept  the  rectorship  of  this  parish.  He 
said  he  was  to  be  in  New  York  within  a  week,  and  re- 
quested me  to  meet  him  at  his  hotel  to  confer  on  the 
subject.  I  met  him  according  to  appointment  and  he 
told  me  all  about  the  parish,  its  needs,  its  embarrass- 
ments, and  its  prospects  —  and  urged  me  to  give  the  sub- 
ject earnest  and  prayerful  consideration.  He  expressed 
a  strong  personal  desire  to  have  me  near  him,  kindly 
telling  me  that  over  and  above  any  influence  I  might 
have  in  the  parish,  he  wanted  me  to  help  him  bear  the 
burdens  which,  on  account  of  advancing  age,  were  be- 
coming oppressive. 

I  may  be  permitted  here  to  say  that  this  was  the  atti- 
tude of  the  Bishop  towards  me  to  the  day  of  his  death. 
Our  relations  were  most  cordial  and  affectionate.     He 


*The  rector  has  yielded  to  the  request  of  members  of  the  vestry  and  congre- 
gation that  this  historical  sketch  be  printed  as  it  was  delivered,  without  the  elimi- 
nation of  personal  allusions  which  will  not  interest  those  who  are  not  connected 
with  the  parish. —  F.  L. 


Reverend  Francis  Lobdell  89 

made  me  his  confidential  friend.  It  was  only  to  please 
him,  and  to  be  of  some  help  to  him,  that  I  accepted  the 
office  of  archdeacon  which  he  conferred  upon  me.  This 
was  his  parish  church;  and  when  the  active  duties  of  his 
busy  life  did  not  call  him  elsewhere,  he  was  with  us  in 
the  congregation  or  in  the  chancel.  For  many  years  it 
was  his  custom  to  give  us  a  series  of  lectures  during 
Lent,  and  we  cannot  realize  that  we  have  listened  to  his 
words  of  wisdom  and  instruction  for  the  last  time.  Bishop 
Coxe  was  one  of  the  most  illustrious  men  in  the  Ameri- 
can Church.  As  a  scholar  he  had  few  superiors.  His 
poetic  gift,  his  polished  courtesy  and  perfect  rhetoric,  his 
zealous  and  intelligent  defense  of  Catholic  principles,  his 
personal  grace  and  commanding  presence,  made  up  a 
grand  personality,  which  will  leave  its  impression  on  all 
who  knew  him. 

In  my  interview  with  the  Bishop  in  New  York,  I  told 
him  I  could  give  no  definite  reply  to  his  proposition,  nor 
could  I  have  any  communication  with  the  vestry,  until  I 
had  visited  Buffalo  and  had  made  myself  familiar  with 
the  condition  of  the  parish.  He  kindly  invited  me  to 
come  here  as  his  guest  as  soon  as  possible.  I  left  New 
York  for  this  city  on  the  sixteenth  of  January,  1887,  and 
was  with  the  Bishop  three  days,  when  he  gave  up  his  en- 
tire time  to  the  object  which  had  brought  me  to  the  See 
House. 

I  shall  never  forget  my  first  visit  to  the  church  with 
the  Bishop.  It  was  not  its  beauty  and  attractiveness  that 
impressed  me.  It  was  the  Bishop  himself.  We  entered 
yonder  door  and  walked  down  the  aisle  directly  to  the 
altar,  where  the  good  Bishop  said,  "  Before  we  look  at 
the  church,  or  say  anything  more  about  your  coming 


90  History  of  Trinity  Church 

here,  let  us  kneel  down  before  the  altar  and  ask  God's 
direction  and  blessing."  We  knelt  down;  and  the  Bishop, 
taking  my  hand  in  his,  offered  one  of  the  most  tender, 
simple,  and  trustful  prayers  I  ever  heard.  We  both  felt 
that,  whatever  the  decision  might  be,  we  should  be  di- 
vinely guided;  and  I  believe  we  were. 

I  had  met  several  members  of  the  congregation,  but 
I  desired  to  get  some  information  concerning  the  parish, 
its  standing  in  the  community,  its  field  of  usefulness,  and 
its  general  outlook  from  persons  who  were  not  connected 
with  it.  The  only  man  in  Buffalo,  except  the  Bishop, 
with  whom  I  was  acquainted  was  an  elder  in  a  Presby- 
terian church.  To  him,  therefore,  I  went,  and  requested 
him  to  tell  me  the  very  worst  things  he  knew  about 
Trinity  Church.  This,  very  much  condensed,  was  his 
reply:  "There  are  many  excellent,  devoted,  Christian 
people  connected  with  the  parish,  but  it  has  a  debt  of 
about  $50,000,  and  they  will  never  pay  it.  They  prefer 
to  pay  the  interest,  and  keep  the  principal  in  their 
pockets." 

On  the  evening  of  the  eighteenth  of  January  I  con- 
sented to  meet  the  vestry,  who  told  me,  as  explicitly  as 
they  could  tell  a  stranger,  the  exact  condition  of  the 
parish.  They  did  not  mean  to  keep  anything  back,  and 
yet  the  brighter  side  was  so  bright  that  it  made  the  darker 
side  somewhat  obscure.  They  told  me  that  the  parish 
had  a  debt  of  nearly  $50,000,  but  that  they  were  able  to 
pay  it,  and  would  pay  it  as  soon  as  possible.  That  prom- 
ise, from  such  men,  was  all  I  needed.  I  trusted  them,  and 
they  trusted  me. 

The  two  wardens  of  that  vestry  were  R.  L.  Howard 
and  Thomas   Dennis.     The  vestrymen  were  Nathaniel 


Reverend  Francis  Lobdell  91 

Rochester,  Charles  H.  Utley,  William  Laverack,  Doctor 
M.  B.  Folwell,  Peter  C.  Doyle,  William  H.  Gratwick, 
Hobart  B.  Loomis,  and  Ensign  Bennett.  Of  these  ten 
only  four  are  now  living.  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Dennis, 
David  P.  Dobbins  was  elected  to  succeed  him,  and  he 
too,  has  been  called  to  his  reward.  I  have  buried  seven 
members  of  the  vestry  in  the  last  ten  years.* 

The  result  of  the  conference  with  the  vestry  was  my 
acceptance  of  the  rectorship  of  the  parish ;  but  as  Lent 
was  approaching,  I  felt  that  I  could  not  leave  my  con- 
gregation in  New  York  before  Easter:  but  I  never  made 
a  more  unfortunate  mistake;  the  intervening  ten  weeks 
were  weeks  of  purgatory  to  rector  and  people,  the  pain 
of  the  separation  being  so  prolonged.  In  the  meantime 
I  visited  this  parish  and  officiated  on  two  Sundays,  and 
was  welcomed  on  a  Saturday  evening  at  a  most  delight- 
ful reception  given  by  one  of  our  neighboring  parish- 
ioners. 

On  Thursday,  the  fourteenth  of  April,  I  removed  to 
Buffalo.  On  the  seventeenth,  the  Sunday  after  Easter, 
I  regularly  entered  upon  my  duties  as  rector;  and  the 
vested  choir  sang  for  the  first  time  on  that  day. 

I  wish  I  could  speak  of  these  things  without  any 
reference  to  myself,  but  as  my  life  for  the  last  ten  years 
has  been  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  parish,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  refer  to  it  without  alluding  to  my  connection 
with  it ;  and  I  am  sure  you  will  pardon  what  is  meant  to 
be  as  far  as  possible  from  egotism. 

The  confidence  which  the  vestry  and  the  congrega- 
tion have  manifested  towards  the  rector  during  these  ten 


*  Since  the  above  was  written,  another  member  of  the  vestry,  Mr.  Edmond  W. 
Granger,  has  been  removed  by  death. 


92  History  of  Trinity  Church 

years  was  exhibited  by  the  senior  warden  the  first  time  I 
officiated  here.  When  he  came  to  the  vestry  room 
before  the  service  to  greet  me,  I  said  to  him,  "  I  am 
entirely  unfamiliar  with  the  way  the  service  has  been 
conducted  here,  and  would  like  to  know  what  you  are 
accustomed  to."  His  reply  was,  "  Conduct  the  service 
in  your  own  way,  and  it  will  meet  with  our  hearty  ap- 
probation." From  that  day  to  this  the  same  spirit  has 
been  exhibited,  and  it  has  made  me  all  the  more  careful 
about  the  introduction  of  changes  in  the  service.  I 
decided  that  no  change  whatever  should  be  made  for  an 
entire  year. 

Before  I  came  here  one  of  the  vestrymen  wrote  me 
that  he  had  ordered  a  processional  cross  to  be  made  in 
New  York.  If  I  did  not  approve  of  it  he  desired  me  to 
countermand  the  order,  which  I  did,  not  because  I  dis- 
approved of  a  processional  cross,  which  I  very  much 
wanted,  but  because  you  were  not  accustomed  to  it,  and 
I  was  unwilling  that  it  should  be  introduced  until  you 
had  become  well  enough  acquainted  with  me  to  trust  my 
judgment.  So  careful  was  I  about  any  innovation  that, 
learning  that  a  new  litany  desk  had  been  presented  as  a 
memorial  gift,  I  requested  the  Bishop,  who  officiated  on 
Easter  Day,  contrary  to  the  usual  custom  on  that  day, 
to  say  the  Litany  at  the  new  desk,  in  order  that  I  might 
find  it  in  actual  use  on  my  arrival.  Those  of  you  who 
were  present  will  remember  that  the  Bishop  asked  you 
to  remain  after  the  celebration  of  the  holy  communion 
and  join  him  in  saying  the  litany;  but  probably  none 
of  you  have  ever  known  why  he  did  it. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  May,  1888,  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  attractive  and  efficient  young  choristers 


Revere7id  Francis  Lobdell  93 

was  removed  by  death,  and  his  parents  requested  the 
privilege  of  presenting  a  processional  cross  as  a  memorial 
of  him.  I  felt  that  the  time  had  come  when  such  a  gift 
could  be  accepted;  and  ever  since,  whenever  the  choir 
has  entered  the  church  it  has  been  "  with  the  cross  of 
Jesus  going  on  before." 

This,  so  far  as  I  can  remember,  is  the  only  innovation 
I  have  made.  Everything  else  is  as  I  found  it  ten  years 
ago.  If  there  have  been  slight  modifications  in  the 
order  of  worship,  they  have  come  so  naturally  that  it 
seems  as  if  there  had  been  no  change.  I  have  aimed  to 
take  what  we  have  and  use  it  in  a  reverent  and  devout 
way.  Anything  that  savors  of  irreverence  in  the  house 
of  God  or  the  order  of  worship  I  abhor.  There  is  no 
danger  of  being  too  reverent.  The  danger  is  all  in  the 
other  direction,  making  the  house  of  God  merely  a 
"  meeting  house." 

The  condition  in  which  I  found  the  parish  was  not 
very  encouraging.  Besides  the  debt,  which  was  large 
and  burdensome,  there  were  various  difficulties  to  be 
overcome.  The  parishes  of  Trinity  and  Christ  Church 
had  been  consolidated,  but  there  were  evidences  of 
friction  between  the  members  of  the  two  former  organi- 
zations. One  of  the  members  of  Christ  Church  (in 
language  which  you  will  pardon,  for  it  expressed  exactly 
what  he  meant)  said  that  they  "  had  been  swallowed  by 
Trinity  and  had  not  been  digested."  You  had  been  a 
whole  year  without  a  rector,  my  predecessor  having 
retired  after  the  opening  service  in  the  new  church  on 
Easter  Day,  1886.  In  consequence  of  the  vacant  rector- 
ship, the  not  too  cordial  relationship  of  the  consolidated 
parishes,  and   the   burdensome  debt,  the  congregation 


94  History  of  Trinity  Church 

had  scattered,  and  altogether  the  tide  was  at  a  very  low 
ebb. 

I  found  here  only  two  hundred  and  thirty  communi- 
cants. Forty-eight  pews  were  unrented,  and  the  income 
from  those  which  were  rented  was  only  nine  thousand 
six  hundred  dollars.  Floating  debts  had  accumulated, 
and  the  history  of  the  parish  for  fifty  years  was  being 
repeated, —  borrowing  money  to  pay  current  expenses. 
In  March,  1888,  a  special  effort  was  made  to  extinguish 
a  part  of  the  floating  debt,  and  about  four  thousand  dol- 
lars was  raised  for  this  purpose. 

There  were  three  organizations  of  women  which  were 
doing  efficient  work  —  the  Trinity  Cooperative  Relief  So- 
ciety, the  Church  Furnishing  Society,  and  the  Ladies'  Aid 
Society.  The  first  of  these  limited  its  work  to  the  poor 
on  the  East  Side;  the  second  devoted  its  energies  to  fur- 
nishing the  new  church,  and  actually  raised  six  thousand 
dollars  for  this  object.  They  were  an  enthusiastic  band 
of  energetic  women,  and  the  parish  is  greatly  indebted  to 
them  for  what  they  were  able  to  accomplish.  The  third 
was  devoted  to  benevolent  work  in  the  city,  and  also  did 
some  missionary  work. 

When  the  object  for  which  the  Furnishing  Society 
was  organized  was  accomplished,  the  organization  was 
given  up.  The  Ladies'  Aid  Society  was  merged  in  a 
new  Missionary  Guild  in  connection  with  the  Woman's 
Auxiliary;  other  guilds  for  young  women  and  children 
were  organized  for  the  same  object,  and  all  of  these 
have  been  doing  excellent  work.  Comparatively  few 
women  of  the  parish  are  active  members  of  the  Mission- 
ary Guild.  A  few  do  all  the  work,  for  which  the  parish 
is    responsible.     To    help    the   missionaries   whom    the 


Reverend  Francis  Lobdcll  95 

Church  sends  into  the  field  in  obedience  to  our  Saviour's 
last  command,  does  not  seem  to  commend  itself  to  the 
sympathy  and  hearty  cooperation  of  many  of  our  people. 
I  do  not  speak  of  this  as  if  this  parish  were  exceptional 
in  its  conception  of  its  responsibility  for  the  support  of 
missionaries,  for  it  is  not.  Our  branch  of  the  Woman's 
Auxiliary  stands  the  highest  in  the  diocese;  but  still  we 
are  not  doing  all  we  ought  to  do. 

Within  the  last  year  the  Cooperative  Relief  Society 
has  greatly  enlarged  its  operations  by  taking  under  its 
supervision  a  district  on  the  East  Side,  where  Trinity 
House  has  been  established  and  a  most  important  work 
among  the  poor  is  being  successfully  done.  There  is  a 
mother's  class  which  meets  every  Wednesday,  and  is 
attended  by  all  the  women  the  house  will  accommodate. 
They  are  credited  with  ten  cents  an  hour  for  their  sew- 
ing, and  take  their  pay  in  garments  made,  or  in  material 
for  garments.  On  Tuesdays  a  committee  of  women 
from  the  parish  meets  and  cuts  out  the  work  for  the 
following  day.  Cake  and  coffee  are  served  to  the  women 
when  their  work  is  done.  The  refining  and  elevating 
influence  upon  these  women  is  already  very  apparent. 

There  is  also  at  Trinity  House  a  boys'  club,  a  club 
for  young  men,  and  a  girls'  club  which  has  outgrown  the 
capacity  of  the  building.  There  is  also  a  diet  kitchen 
where  delicacies  for  the  sick  are  prepared,  and  women 
are  instructed  in  cooking. 

And  last  of  all  —  and  I  would  say  the  best  if  all  the 
departments  were  not  the  best  —  is  a  kindergarten,  where 
forty  children  are  taught  five  days  every  week  by  most 
efficient  and  thoroughly  trained  teachers.  The  people  of 
the   parish    are   very  much  interested    in  this  work  at 


96  History  of  Trinity  Church 

Trinity  House,  and  have  contributed  for  its  support  dur- 
ing the  last  year  $2,659.63. 

An  industrial  school  of  from  sixty  to  eighty  children 
meets  in  the  parish  guild  house  every  Saturday  morning, 
and  the  children  are  systematically  taught  the  art  of 
sewing.  The  superintendent  and  her  faithful  corps  of 
teachers  are  doing  a  self-sacrificing  and  praiseworthy 
work.  The  Altar  Society,  with  its  various  chapters,  has 
been  most  useful,  and  the  Vestment  Society  has  provided 
all  the  vestments  which  are  used  by  the  clergy  and  the 
choir. 

During  the  first  four  years  of  my  rectorship  I  had  no 
clerical  assistance.  The  vestry,  realizing  that  the  growing 
work  demanded  more  labor  than  one  man  was  able  to 
give  it,  offered  to  provide  a  salary  for  an  assistant,  and 
Captain  Dobbins  secured  by  subscription  all  the  money 
necessary  for  this  object  in  a  very  few  days.  But  the  sub- 
scribers were  never  called  upon  for  the  amount  of  their 
subscriptions,  other  and  better  things  being  provided  a 
little  later. 

The  condition  of  the  parish  was  every  year  improv- 
ing. The  number  of  communicants  had  more  than 
doubled,  and  the  financial  resources  were  very  much 
increased.  Still  we  were  paying  two  thousand  dollars  a 
year  in  interest  on  our  mortgage  debt.  If  we  could  only 
be  relieved  from  that  heavy  burden,  the  parish  would 
rebound  from  all  pecuniary  embarrassment,  and  have  two 
thousand  dollars  more  to  use  for  its  legitimate  work. 
This  was  discussed  very  earnestly  at  our  vestry  meetings, 
and  finally  it  was  determined  to  make  an  effort  to  raise 
the  entire  amount  of  the  debt  if  possible,  but  in  any 
event  to  raise  all  we  could.     I  doubt  if  any  member  of 


Reverend  Francis  Lobdcll  97 

the  vestry  really  believed  it  would  be  possible  to  obtain 
subscriptions  for  the  entire  debt.  We  each  pledged  our- 
selves to  do  everything  within  our  power  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  this  object.  Committees  of  the  vestry  and 
congregation  were  appointed  to  solicit  subscriptions,  and 
I  was  to  preach  a  sermon  on  the  subject  to  awaken  the 
interest  and  enlist  the  cooperation  of  the  congregation. 
Not  a  movement  was  to  be  made  until  the  sermon  had 
been  preached.  The  sermon  was  prepared,  but  the  next 
Sunday  was  stormy  and  the  congregation  was  not  large. 
So  I  did  not  preach  the  sermon  that  day.  The  next  Sun- 
day was  more  unfavorable  than  the  last.  But  the  third 
Sunday  was  all  we  could  wish  for,  and  the  congregation 
filled  the  church.  The  sermon,  which  I  had  taken  into 
the  pulpit  three  times,  was  then  delivered,  and  before 
the  congregation  had  all  left  the  church  that  morning 
ten  thousand  dollars  was  subscribed.  The  committee 
immediately  began  their  work  with  enthusiastic  earnest- 
ness, and  within  ten  days,  on  my  return  from  New  York, 
they  met  me  in  my  study  with  a  thousand  dollars  more 
than  the  entire  amount  of  the  debt  subscribed;  and  so 
my  friend  the  Presbyterian  elder  had  proved  himself  to 
be  a  false  prophet. 

Oh,  what  a  relief  it  was  to  pastor  and  people  to  feel 
that  this  heavy  burden  had  been  removed!  The  sub- 
scriptions were  payable  in  one,  two,  three,  four,  and  five 
years.  But  almost  the  entire  amount  was  paid  within 
two  years,  and  on  the  twentieth  day  of  September,  1892, 
the  mortgage  having  been  removed,  this  church  was 
solemnly  consecrated  by  Bishop  Coxe  to  Almighty  God, 
to  be  used  henceforth  only  for  His  worship  and  service, 
according  to  the  liturgy  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
g 


98  History  of  Trinity  Church 

Church,  and  according  to  the  usages  prescribed  in  the 
Book  of  Common  Prayer. 

For  the  first  time  in  all  its  history  the  parish  was 
entirely  free  from  debt,  and  we  were  able  to  enlarge  the 
scope  of  our  work. 

On  the  29th  of  January,  1891,  Mrs.  Caroline  M.  Mc- 
Credie,  a  communicant  of  this  parish  for  more  than  fifty 
years,  was  removed  by  death;  and  when  her  will  was 
read,  to  our  complete  surprise  it  was  found  that  she  had 
bequeathed  nearly  half  of  her  estate  to  this  parish.  She 
had  never  said  anything  to  me  on  the  subject,  though  I 
had  frequently  visited  her  during  her  illness,  as  well  as  in 
the  regular  course  of  visitations  while  she  was  in  health. 

In  due  time  the  parish  received  from  her  estate  her 
former  residence,  which  is  now  the  rectory,  and  thirty 
thousand  dollars  in  valuable  investments  which  the  vestry 
has  regarded  as  an  endowment  fund,  to  be  increased 
from  year  to  year,  for  use  when  the  income  of  the  parish 
in  years  to  come  shall  be  reduced  by  changes  which,  in 
such  a  rapidly  growing  city  as  this,  are  inevitable. 

The  vestry  has  contracted  with  The  Tiffany  Company, 
of  New  York,  for  a  beautiful  window,  which  will  soon  be 
placed  in  the  church  as  a  memorial  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Credie.*  The  windows  which  now  beautify  the  church, 
with  the  exception  of  those  in  the  chancel  and  one  in 
the  nave,  have  all  been  placed  here  since  April,  1887. 
There  are  in  the  church  sixty-one  memorials  of  the  dead, 
forty  of  which  have  been  given  during  the  last  ten  years. 

For  several  years  it  had  been  evident  that  the  organ, 
which  was  built  for  the  old  church,  and  which  had  been 


♦This  window,  representing  the  archangels  Gabriel  and  Raphael,  was  placed 
in  the  church  on  September  ist,  1897. 


Reverend  Francis  Lobdell  99 

in  use  for  more  than  twenty  years,  was  not  adapted  for 
the  use  to  which  it  was  put  in  this  building.  Its  capacity 
was  insufficient,  and  its  mechanism  defective.  The  vestry 
felt  that  the  time  had  come  when  it  was  possible  to  pro- 
vide a  better  instrument.  Accordingly  last  spring  a 
movement  was  made  in  this  direction,  and  in  two  or 
three  weeks  the  entire  amount  required  was  raised,  and 
the  organ  was  paid  for  as  soon  as  it  was  completed. 

There  are  many  other  items  of  interest  to  which  I 
would  be  glad  to  allude,  but  I  have  already  detained  you 
too  long.  I  have  now  only  time  to  present  a  summary 
of  the  statistics  of  the  parish  for  the  last  ten  years. 

There  were  in  April,  1887,  two  hundred  and  thirty 
communicants.  There  have  since  been  added  by  transfer 
and  confirmation  nine  hundred  and  one.  We  have  lost 
by  death  seventy-eight,  and  by  transfer  one  hundred  and 
ninety-nine.  The  present  number  is  therefore  eight  hun- 
dred and  fifty-four.  Four  hundred  and  ten  persons  have 
been  confirmed.  I  have  baptized  two  hundred  and  ninety ; 
have  officiated  at  one  hundred  and  twenty  marriages  and 
at  two  hundred  and  nine  burials,  and  have  made  six  thou- 
sand and  ninety-six  parochial  calls. 

The  total  amount  contributed  by  the  parish  during 
the  last  ten  years  is  $318,085.22. 

And  now,  beloved,  I  have  given  an  account  of  my 
stewardship,  but  I  take  no  credit  to  myself  for  what  has 
been  accomplished.  Without  your  hearty  cooperation  I 
could  have  done  nothing.  You  have  sustained  me  in 
every  effort  I  have  made.  I  have  felt  that  back  of  me 
was  the  entire  force  and  cordial  sympathy  of  the  con- 
gregation. There  has  been,  thank  God,  no  carping  criti- 
cism of  my  methods,  and  this  is  one  of  the  secrets  of  our 


i  oo  History  of  Trinity  Church 

success.  You  chose  me  as  your  rector,  and  your  rector 
you  have  been  willing  that  I  should  be.  You  have 
trusted  me  because  you  knew  me,  and  though  in  this 
parish  we  are  bound  by  no  ironclad  rule  of  absolute  uni- 
formity in  matters  unimportant,  we  have  worked  together 
in  perfect  harmony,  and  we  all  see  the  great  advantage 
of  this  method  of  work. 

I  have  been  blessed  with  one  of  the  best  of  vestries  — 
broad-minded,  intelligent,  enthusiastic  men,  aiding  the 
rector  in  every  possible  way,  and  making  his  heart  glad 
whenever  a  shadow  of  discouragement  appeared.  The 
vestry  has  never  been  divided  on  any  action  it  has  taken. 
I  do  not  recall  a  single  instance  in  which  a  vote  was  not 
unanimous.  There  have  been  full  and  unrestricted  dis- 
cussions, but  when  a  vote  was  taken  it  was  unanimous. 

God  bless  you  all,  and  make  me  more  worthy  of  your 
sympathy  and  confidence.  I  came  here  to  consecrate  the 
best  years  of  my  life  to  the  service  of  God  in  this  parish. 
Pray  for  me,  for  I  need  your  prayers.  These  ten  years 
have  been  years  of  joy  and  sorrow;  years  of  affliction, 
with  their  more  than  two  hundred  funerals;  years  of 
pleasure,  the  pastor  mingling  with  one  hundred  and 
twenty  bridal  groups,  going  to  the  happy,  going  to  the 
distressed,  going  to  the  beds  of  pain  and  death,  his  heart 
full  of  stored-up  sympathies,  trying  to  teach  to  all  the 
blessed  gospel  of  our  loving  Saviour.  The  bond  that 
unites  us  is  most  sacred. 

Let  us  be  faithful  to  God,  to  each  other,  and  to  the 
world  around  us,  "with  one  mind  striving  together  for 
the  faith  of  the  gospel,"  until  our  work  is  done  and  we 
hear  the  voice  of  our  loving  Father  saying,  "  Come  up 
higher." 


William  D.  Walker 


Bishop  Walker 


IN  October,  1896,  a  special  council  of  the  diocese  of 
Western  New  York  convened  in  Trinity  Church, 
Buffalo,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  lamented 
death  of  our  beloved  Bishop  Coxe.  The  unanimous  vote 
of  the  council  elected  to  this  episcopate  the  Right  Rev- 
erend William  D.  Walker,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  missionary 
bishop  of  North  Dakota,  who  accepted  the  call,  much  to 
the  joy  of  the  diocese  in  general,  laymen  as  well  as 
clergy. 

Bishop  Walker  is  a  New  Yorker  by  birth.  He  pre- 
pared for  college  at  Trinity  School,  New  York,  and  grad- 
uated from  Columbia  College  in  1859.  ^e  entered  the 
General  Theological  Seminary  the  same  year,  was  or- 
dained deacon  by  Bishop  Potter  in  1862,  who  also,  a 
year  later,  ordained  him  to  the  priesthood.  His  first 
work  in  the  ministry  was  in  connection  with  Calvary 
Church,  New  York,  of  which  Bishop  Coxe  (then  the 
Reverend  Doctor  Coxe)  was  rector.  Here  he  filled  the 
post  of  assistant,  having  special  charge  of  the  chapel 
services,  and  this  was  his  field  of  labor  until  called  by 
the  House  of  Bishops  to  take  the  missionary  episcopate 
of  North  Dakota.  He  was  consecrated  December  20, 
1883,  by  bishops  Clark,  Coxe,  Clarkson,  Littlejohn, 
Benjamin  H.  Paddock,  John  A.  Paddock,  and  Henry  C. 
Potter. 

The  missionary  spirit,  so  greatly  developed  in  Bishop 
Walker,  found  a  wide  scope  for  work  among  the  Indians 


102  History  of  Trinity  Church 

and  the  frontier  settlements  of  North  Dakota.  Though 
his  jurisdiction  was  full  of  difficulties,  he  overcame  the 
obstacles  in  his  path  and  won  success.  During  his  wise 
administration  great  good  was  accomplished,  and  many 
churches  were  built  and  consecrated.  Bishop  Walker's 
devotion  to  the  Indians  within  the  limits  of  his  see 
resulted  in  the  evangelization  of  numbers  of  the  red  men. 
His  ingenious  expedient  of  the  so-called  "  cathedral  car," 
for  carrying  the  services  of  the  church  to  the  scattered 
and  isolated  people  of  his  charge,  was  remarkably  suc- 
cessful, and  has  been  adopted  in  other  countries. 

Bishop  Walker  has  won  a  high  position  for  himself 
in  the  regard  of  all  churchmen,  not  only  in  this  country 
but  in  Great  Britain  as  well.  In  accepting  the  call  to 
the  diocese  of  Western  New  York,  he  did  not  come 
among  strangers,  but  was  heartily  welcomed  by  the 
many  friends  who  remembered  his  kind  ministrations  at 
former  times  when  Bishop  Coxe  was  unable  to  make  his 
visitations,  and  who  knew  how  highly  he  was  esteemed 
by  our  former  beloved  diocesan. 


Trinity  Cooperative  Relief  Society 

A  CRY  from  the  Charity  Organization  Society  in 
1879  for  the  cooperation  of  the  churches  in  the 
city  in  the  work  of  visiting  the  poor  and  assist- 
ing in  the  amelioration  of  their  condition  was  responded 
to  by  members  of  Trinity  Parish,  who  organized  March 
27th,  1880,  under  the  name  of  Trinity  Cooperative 
Relief  Society.  The  first  meeting  of  all  interested  was 
called,  and  held  at  the  residence  of  Doctor  Walter  Cary, 
at  the  corner  of  Delaware  Avenue  and  Huron  Street; 
and  at  a  later  meeting  a  draft  of  the  constitution  drawn 
up  by  Mr.  Thomas  Cary  and  Mr.  Samuel  M.  Welch, 
junior,  was  presented  and  discussed,  and,  after  being 
greatly  amended,  was  adopted. 

The  society  was  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  all  worthy 
people  of  whatever  creed,  not  giving  alms,  but  rendering 
such  assistance  as  might  enable  those  families  committed 
to  its  care  by  the  Charity  Organization  Society  to  be- 
come self-supporting. 

The  following  officers  were  appointed:  president, 
Mr.  William  H.  Gratwick;  vice-president,  Miss  Maria 
M.  Love;  secretary,  Miss  Emily  S.  Ganson;  assistant 
secretary,  Miss  Elizabeth  C.  Rochester;  treasurer,  Mr. 
Horatio  H.  Seymour.  A  Purchasing  Committee,  Cut- 
ting Committee,  and  Relief  Committee  were  appointed, 
and  work  was  begun  at  once  in  the  parlor  of  Trinity 
Parish  building  on  Mohawk  Street,  where  every  Wednes- 
day morning  from  ten  to  twelve  o'clock  the  ladies  of  the 


104  History  of  Trinity  Church 

society  were  in  attendance,  giving  out  work  or  paying  — 
in  groceries,  clothing,  or  cash,  as  the  case  might  be  —  for 
work  done. 

The  work  was  scarcely  entered  upon  when  it  became 
apparent  that  the  constitution  must  undergo  radical 
change,  or  nothing  could  be  accomplished,  the  gentlemen 
averring  that  every  new  move  suggested  was  unconstitu- 
tional. A  committee  composed  of  Mr.  Thomas  Cary  and 
Miss  Ganson  was  appointed  to  revise  and  report  upon  the 
constitution.  They  revised  it  so  well,  and  guarded  it  so 
carefully,  that  it  has  never  since  been  heard  from;  and 
from  that  day  forward,  Trinity  Cooperative  Relief  Soci- 
ety has  worked  out  its  mission  with  neither  constitution 
nor  by-laws — and  worked  well! 

As  the  society's  work  increased,  three  rooms  were 
taken  on  the  second  floor  of  the  parish  building;  and  at 
the  end  of  four  years  the  society  removed  to  the  Fitch 
Institute  on  Swan  Street,  where  a  suite  of  rooms  was 
offered  for  its  use  by  the  Charity  Organization  Society. 

At  this  time  the  officers  were:  president,  Samuel 
M.  Welch,  junior;  vice-president,  Mrs.  Henry  M.  Watson; 
treasurer,  Horatio  H.  Seymour;  secretary,  Miss  Emily 
S.  Ganson;  chairman  of  Relief  Committee,  Mrs.  Henry 
C.  Winslow;  secretary  of  Relief  Committee,  Miss  Eliza- 
beth C.  Rochester.  In  the  space  of  a  little  more  than 
four  years,  two  hundred  families  had  been  cared  for,  and 
only  four  out  of  that  number  had  been  found  unworthy. 
One  hundred  and  seventy-five  had  become  self-support- 
ing, or  had  left  the  city,  and  in  many  cases  had  rendered 
relief  to  others  by  dividing  their  work  with  them,  thereby 
becoming  coworkers  with  the  Relief  Society,  instead  ot 
beneficiaries.     In  the  early  days  of  this  society  it  was 


Trinity  Cooperative  Relief  Society         105 

the  custom  to  hold  a  general  monthly  meeting  in  the 
evenings,  at  which  time  matters  pertaining  to  the  good 
of  the  society  in  general  were  presented  to  the  council 
for  conference;  and  suggestions  were  made  by  both  men 
and  women  as  to  the  best  methods  to  be  pursued  in  the 
management  of  cases.  For  example:  one  woman  could 
not  use  her  needle  and  give  sufficient  support  to  her 
family;  scrubbing  and  cleaning  met  with  equally  fatal  re- 
sults, and  the  visitor  was  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do. 
A  member  of  the  society,  a  bachelor,  who  was  away  from 
his  home,  and  had  homemade  bread  sent  him  every  week, 
suggested  her  making  and  selling  homemade  bread,  and 
gave  an  order  for  a  loaf  to  be  sent  to  him  at  his  club 
every  day.  This  suggestion  was  followed  by  the  visitor 
herself  teaching  the  woman  to  make  bread  and  cake. 
Within  a  year  she  was  making  and  delivering  one  thou- 
sand loaves  a  week,  and  in  a  very  short  time  had  all  the 
orders  she  could  fill,  and  fully  supported  herself  and 
her  family.  This  monthly  general  meeting  was  found  of 
great  benefit,  the  advice  and  counsel  of  the  men  of  the 
congregation  being  invaluable. 

A  wretched  case  of  squalor  and  misery,  which  for 
many  months  baffled  a  series  of  inexperienced  visitors, 
and  was  about  to  be  returned  to  the  Charity  Organiza- 
tion Society  marked  "English  paupers,"  was  taken  in 
hand  by  one  of  the  elder  visitors.  She  was  found  to  be 
a  little  disheartened  widow,  whose  husband's  sudden 
death  by  falling  through  an  open  hatchway  had  left  her 
with  six  little  children,  one  a  baby  in  arms.  Living  in 
a  basement,  and  with  insufficient  food,  no  wonder  that 
poverty  of  the  blood  was  painfully  manifested  in  all  their 
faces.     The  eldest  boy  was  nine  years  old,  and  must  be 


106  History  of  Trinity  Church 

clothed  and  sent  to  school.  Work  was  found  for  the 
mother  in  cleaning  the  offices  of  the  street  railroad  com- 
pany, and  within  a  few  months  the  whole  aspect  of  the 
family  was  changed.  By  fortunate  chance  the  visitor 
discovered  certain  papers  relating  to  a  life  insurance, 
which,  followed  up  through  the  legal  advice  and  kindly 
efforts  of  Mr.  Ansley  Wilcox,  finally  brought  a  decision 
from  the  court  granting  the  little  widow  four  thousand 
dollars.  This  was  safely  invested  for  her  in  bonds  and 
mortgages  by  her  attorney,  and  within  five  years  of  the 
time  she  had  been  branded  an  English  pauper  she  be- 
came a  landed  proprietor,  and  had  proved  herself  an  in- 
dustrious, capable  woman,  able  to  support  herself  and  her 
six  children,  with  only  a  helping  hand  extended  to  her 
and  a  kindly  word  of  encouragement  to  make  her  feel 
that  she  was  not  standing  alone  to  bear  the  burden 
which  had  so  suddenly  fallen  upon  her  shoulders. 

One  other  case  only  will  be  quoted,  that  of  a  woman 
who  came  to  one  of  the  ladies  during  the  summer 
months,  to  say  that  neither  she  nor  her  three  children 
had  had  food  for  nearly  twenty-four  hours.  Sewing  was 
given  her,  and  later  she  was  put  under  instruction  and 
became  self-supporting  as  a  manicure  and  chiropodist, 
repaying  to  the  society  in  full  the  money  which  had 
been  advanced  to  her  for  relief  and  instruction. 

So  for  nearly  seventeen  years  the  work  has  been  car- 
ried on  by  this  society,  which,  since  its  organization,  has 
given  work  to  five  hundred  and  forty-eight  families.  Dur- 
ing this  period,  the  following  list  of  names  appears  as 
officers  and  workers : 

Presidents:  William  H.  Gratwick,  four  years;  Mrs. 
Henry  C.  Winslow,  ten  years;  Mrs.  Henry  C.Crane,  one 
year;  Mrs.  Wilson  S.  Bissell,  one  year. 


Trinity  Cooperative  Relief  Society         107 

Vice-presidents  :  Miss  Maria  M.  Love,  eleven  years; 
Mrs.  Henry  M.  Watson,  one  year;  Miss  Emily  Sibley 
Ganson,  one  year;  Miss  Ida  Haven,  one  year;  Mrs.  Seth 
C.  Clark,  one  year;  Mrs.  Peter  A.  Porter,  one  year. 

Secretaries:  Miss  Emily  Sibley  Ganson,  four  years; 
Miss  Elizabeth  C.  Rochester  (assistant),  three  years ;  Mrs. 
Bainbridge  Folwell,  two  years;  Miss  Ida  Haven,  two 
years;  Mrs.  Nathaniel  Rochester,  three  years;  Mrs. 
Charles  O.  Howard,  two  years;  Mrs.  Parkhurst  (corre- 
spondence), one  year;  Mrs.  John  Parmenter,  two  years; 
Mrs.  John  L.  Williams,  one  year. 

Treasurers:  Mrs.  Horatio  H.  Seymour,  four  years; 
Mrs.  Henry  C.  Springer,  four  years;  Mrs.  Seth  C.  Clark, 
four  years;    Mrs.  Jesse  C.  Dann,  four  years. 

Visitors  and  workers:  Mrs.  Demarest,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Cary,  the  Misses  Rochester,  Miss  Morris,  Miss  Jeanie 
Dann,  Mrs.  Henry  Y.  Grant,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Noye,  Miss 
Wheeler,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Bell,  Mrs.  F.  E.  Howard,  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam Meadows,  Miss  Elizabeth  Townsend,  Mrs.  William 
H.  Gratwick,  Mrs.  Gibson  Howard,  Mrs.  E.  S.  Wheeler, 
Mrs.  George  W.  Miller,  Mrs.  H.  M.  Gerrans,  Mrs.  Sidney 
Sweet,  Mrs.  Stedman  Williams,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Mixer, 
Mrs.  F.  L.  A.  Cady,  Miss  Hauenstein,  Mrs.  John  Druar, 
Miss  Sarah  Hazard. 

About  three  years  ago,  the  writer,  while  in  Boston, 
was  asked  if  she  knew  anything  about  a  powerful  society 
in  Buffalo  known  as  the  Trinity  Cooperative  Relief  So- 
ciety. A  family  had  moved  east,  and  had  told  how, 
through  the  kindness  and  help  received  from  this  society, 
they  had  been  raised  from  penury  to  independence. 

In  1896  it  was  found  that  many  who  had  never  before 
asked  for  or  received  assistance  disliked  to  apply  to  any 


108  History  of  Trinity  Church 

"  relief"  society,  and  considered  it  to  be  allied  to  the 
poor  master.  Thereupon  the  word  "  Relief"  was  stricken 
out  from  the  society's  name,  and  it  became  Trinity  Co- 
operative Society. 

In  November,  1895,  the  Buffalo  districting  plan  was 
suggested  by  a  member  of  this  society,  and  through  the 
Charity  Organization  Society  the  whole  city  was  divided 
into  districts,  each  district  to  be  taken  by  a  church  or  a 
society.  The  following  letter  is  Miss  Love's  original 
statement  of  the  plan  to  the  clergy  of  Buffalo. 

November  16,  1895. 

It  has  been  well  said,  "If  you  could  district  the  large  cities, 
and  induce  the  churches  to  look  after  those  districts  as  the  poli- 
ticians look  after  the  voters  in  those  districts,  there  would  follow 
such  an  uplifting  of  the  masses  as  has  not  been  known  since  the 
coming  of  the  Master!  " 

Following  this  suggestion  a  committee  has  been  at  work  during 
the  summer,  districting  the  city  with  a  view  to  placing  each  district 
in  the  care  of  a  church. 

When  the  question  is  asked,  "What  responsibility  does  a 
church  assume  in  accepting  the  care  of  a  district  from  the  hands  of 
the  Districting  Committee?"  perhaps  no  better  reply  could  be 
voiced  than  that  given  in  the  New  Testament  to  the  question, 
"Who  is  my  neighbor?"  Each  district  has  certain  attributes 
more  or  less  peculiar  to  itself,  and  the  temperament  of  the  church 
must  govern  somewhat  the  treatment  of  the  district. 

In  general,  the  highest  development  of  the  best  that  is  in  the 
individual,  and  through  the  individual  the  uplifting  of  the  com- 
munity, is  what  is  aimed  at  in  this  districting  of  the  city. 

A  thorough  knowledge  of  the  dwellings  and  dwellers  in  a  dis- 
trict would,  perforce,  require  a  certain  amount  of  friendly  visit- 
ing, of  personal  intercourse.  This  would  lead  to  a  knowledge  of 
the  wants  of  that  community,  spiritually,  morally,  and  physically, 
and  with  a  knowledge  of  the  wants  would  be  awakened  a  desire  to 
relieve  them.  Just  how  far  this  can  be  done  will  depend  upon  the 
ability  of   those  working  in  the  church.     When  it  is  a  matter  of 


Trinity  Cooperative  Relief  Society         109 

material  relief,  beyond  the  financial  capacity  of  the  church  to  meet, 
the  Overseer  of  the  Poor  can  be  appealed  to,  though  it  is  always 
deemed  desirable  to  inspire  such  a  measure  of  self-respect  as  may 
prevent  as  far  as  possible  recourse  to  the  Overseer  of  the  Poor.  In 
certain  districts  the  care  of  the  children  would  possibly  lead,  with 
the  growth  of  the  work,  to  the  establishing  of  kindergartens,  of 
kitchen  gardens,  of  sewing  schools,  of  carpenter  shops,  and  of 
public  playgrounds.  Some  knowledge  of  the  ways  of  the  men  might 
lead  to  the  establishing  of  bright,  attractive  coffee  houses,  with 
billiard  tables,  which  would  ultimately  close  the  neighboring  saloon. 

Personal  intercourse  with  the  women  would  disclose  their 
ignorance  of  household  economy,  and  lead  to  their  availing  them- 
selves of  the  privileges  offered  by  the  Women's  Union,  in  classes 
of  cooking,  laundry  work,  and  general  housework,  and  lead,  too, 
to  some  effort  to  make  the  home  clean,  comfortable,  and  attractive. 

But  over  all,  and  above  all,  is  the  spirit  which  animates  this 
service — "  the  cheerful  and  helpful  doing  of  what  the  hand  finds  to 
do,  in  surety  that,  at  evening  time,  whatsoever  is  right  the  Master 
will  give." 

As  far  as  possible,  it  is  desired  that  each  church  should  confine 
its  relief  work  to  its  own  district.  Where  it  has  interests  in  other 
districts,  however,  the  church  of  that  other  district  should  be  noti- 
fied that  certain  of  its  people  are  being  cared  for  elsewhere,  so  that 
the  two  churches  should  not  both  be  relieving  the  same  family. 

Where  any  material  relief  is  given,  it  is  earnestly  requested 
that  the  name  and  address  of  the  family  receiving  it  be  sent  in  to 
the  Charity  Organization  Society,  that  a  full  record  may  be  kept  at 
its  office.  The  officers  and  agents  of  the  Charity  Organization 
Society  will  always  be  at  the  service  of  the  churches. 

In  placing  a  district  in  the  care  of  a  congregation,  perhaps  no 
better  advice  could  be  given  than  that  of  John  Ruskin :  "You  know 
how  often  it  is  difficult  to  be  wisely  charitable ;  to  do  good,  without 
multiplying  the  sources  of  evil.  You  know  that  to  give  alms  is 
nothing  unless  you  give  thought  also ;  and  that  therefore  it  is  written, 
not,  'Blessed  is  he  that  feedeth  the  poor,'  but  'Blessed  is  he  that 
considereth  the  poor.'  And  you  know  that  a  little  thought  and  a 
little  kindness  are  often  worth  more  than  a  great  deal  of  money." 

MARIA  M.  LOVE, 

Chairman. 


1 1  o  History  of  Trinity  Church 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Trinity  Cooperative  Relief  So- 
ciety in  March,  1 896,  it  was  decided  to  assume  the  re- 
sponsibility of  a  single  district,  following  the  plan  sug- 
gested by  the  Charity  Organization  Society;  and  district 
number  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  was  taken,  having 
the  following  boundaries:  Exchange  Street  to  Buffalo 
Creek;  Michigan  Street,  to  Louisiana  Street,  barring  the 
district  east  of  Chicago  Street  and  south  of  Fulton  Street. 
The  following  November  a  house  was  leased  at  258  Elk 
Street,  in  which  Mrs.  Bradnack  was  installed  as  resident. 

With  the  opening  of  the  year  1897,  the  work  is  given 
out  to  the  women  as  of  old,  on  Wednesdays,  but  with  a 
difference.  They  meet  at  the  house  in  the  afternoons, 
and  sew  for  two  hours  and  a  half,  receiving  ten  cents  an 
hour.  This  they  may  trade  out  in  clothing  or  groceries 
at  greatly  reduced  rates.  During  the  afternoon,  the 
women,  in  circles  of  eight  and  ten,  adjourn  to  the  dining 
room,  where  they  are  served  each  with  a  cup  of  hot 
coffee  and  a  bun.  This  converts  their  stay  into  a  very 
enjoyable  "afternoon  tea."  The  ladies  of  the  society 
preside  over  each  circle  of  sewers,  and  a  most  desirable 
and  beneficial  relation  is  established  between  the  women 
of  the  society  and  the  women  of  the  district.  The  chil- 
dren who  are  too  young  to  be  left  at  home  alone  are 
brought  by  their  mothers  to  the  "  Housekeepers'  Club," 
as  it  is  now  termed,  and  are  taken  care  of  and  amused 
by  certain  members  of  the  society  in  attendance  for  that 
purpose. 

A  library  and  reading  room  have  been  inaugurated, 
and  it  is  proposed  to  establish  men's  clubs,  boys'  clubs, 
and  girls'  clubs,  and  to  broaden  the  work  as  rapidly  as 
workers  are  found  ready  to  lead. 


Trinity  Cooperative  Relief  Society         1 1 1 

A  kindergarten  will  be  opened  January  4th,  which 
has  its  full  complement  of  children,  forty  in  number, 
already  enrolled,  under  two  competent  kindergartners, 
Miss  Kate  Belton  and  Miss  Edith  Worthington.  It  is 
to  maintain  this  kindergarten  that  the  proceeds  from  the 
sale  of  this  history  will  be  applied.  It  is  believed  that 
the  dissemination  of  the  kindergarten  spirit  to  the  moth- 
ers through  their  children,  and  in  the  mothers'  meetings 
conducted  by  the  kindergartners,  will  do  more  towards 
the  uplifting  of  the  district  than  any  other  work  entered 
upon  by  the  society. 

The  following  is  the  list  of  officers  and  committees, 
January  1st,  1897,  of  Trinity  Cooperative  Society: 

President,  Mrs.  William  Meadows;  vice-president, 
Miss  Maria  M.  Love;  secretary,  Mrs.  John  Druar;  treas- 
urer, Mrs.  Edgar  B.  Jewett. 

House  Committee:  Mrs.  Thomas  Symons,  chairman; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  M.  Watson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Park- 
hurst,  Mrs.  George  L.Williams,  Major  Symons,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wilson  S.  Bissell,  Mr.  Charles  O.  Howard. 

Finance  Committee:  Mrs.  Nathaniel  Rochester, 
chairman;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  Guilford  Smith,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Charles  O.  Howard,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  L.  Fryer,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  George  Bleistein,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Clifton, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edmund  W.  Granger,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George 
S.  Field,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  W.  Miller,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
George  L.  Williams. 

Kindergarten  Committee:  Miss  Maria  M.  Love, 
chairman;  Mrs.  H.  W.  Gerrans,  Mrs.  Martin  Clark,  Mrs. 
E.  S.  Wheeler,  Miss  Hauenstein,  Mrs.  L.  O.  Allen,  Mrs. 
Abbott,  Mrs.  Demarest,  Miss  Doyle,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fol- 
insbee,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Breuer,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sidney  Sweet. 


1 1  2  History  of  Trinity  Church 

Cooking  Class  Committee:    Mrs.  Redfern,  chairman. 

Reading  Room  and  Library  Committee:  Mrs.  Dexter 
P.  Rumsey,  chairman;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Clifton, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  D.  Rumsey,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  L. 
Laverack,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  H.  Keep,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George 
J.  Sicard,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Porter  Norton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam H.  Gratwick,  Mrs.  James  P.  White,  Mrs.  Movius, 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Mixer,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Roswell  Park,  Miss 
Marion  Spaulding,  Miss  Helen  Winslow,  Miss  Fanny 
Winslow,  Miss  Sarah  Hazard,  Miss  Jennie  Williams, 
Mr.  Seymour  White,  Mr.  Frederick  Mixer,  Mr.  James 
Dyett. 

Cutting  Committee:  Mrs.  Edmund  W.  Granger, 
chairman;  Mrs.  S.  A.  Wheeler,  Mrs.  Rachel  Weaver, 
Mrs.  F.  L.  A.  Cady,  Mrs.  M.  Buell,  Miss  Elizabeth 
Townsend,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Cary,  Mrs.  Charles  Hengerer. 

Worn  Clothing  Committee:  Mrs.  Benjamin  Folsom, 
chairman;  Mrs.  Codman. 

New  Garments  Committee:  Miss  Elsie  Wheeler, 
chairman;  Mrs.  A.  A.  Noye,  Mrs.  Henry  Y.  Grant,  Miss 
Jennie  Williams. 

Housekeepers'  Club  Committee:  Mrs.  S.  S.  Spaulding, 
chairman;  Mrs.  Joseph  Hunsicker,  Mrs.  Henry  M. 
Watson,  Mrs.  Charles  O.  Howard,  Mrs.  F.  E.  Howard, 
Mrs.  Folwell,  Mrs.  Crane,  Mrs.  R.  Weaver,  Miss  Sarah 
Hazard,  Miss  England. 

Men's  Club  Committee:  Mr.  James  Dyett,  chairman. 

Girls'  Clubs  Committee:  Miss  Marion  Spaulding, 
chairman ;    Miss  May  Williams. 

Boys'  Clubs  Committee:  Miss  Margaret  F.  Roches- 
ter, chairman;  Miss  Anna  Maude  Hoxsie,  Mr.  J.  F. 
Druar,  Mr.  Laurence  Williams. 


Trinity  Cooperative  Relief  Society         1 1 3 

Executive  Committee:  Mrs.  William  Meadows,  chair- 
man; Miss  Maria  M.  Love,  Mrs.  John  Druar,  Mrs.  Dex- 
ter P.  Rumsey,  Mrs.  Porter  Norton,  Mrs.  Nathaniel 
Rochester,  Mrs.  Edgar  B.  Jewett,  Mrs.  Ward,  Mrs. 
Thomas  Symons,  Mrs.  S.  S.  Spaulding,  Mrs.  Demarest. 


And  the  bishop,  and  the  deacon 

And  the  presbyter  are  there, 
In  pure  and  stainless  raiment, 

At  Eucharist  and  prayer ; 
And  the  bells  swing  free  and  merry, 

And  a  nation  shouteth  round, 
For  the  Lord  Himself  hath  triumphed, 

And  His  voice  is  in  the  sound. 

BISHOP   COXE. 


Wardens  and  Vestrymen 

SOME  of  the  earlier  records  of  the  church  having 
been  lost  during  the  removal  from  old  Trinity, 
a  list  of  the  wardens  and  vestrymen  comprising 
the  vestries  from  1855  is  all  that  can  be  given  without 
resorting  to  sources  which  would  not  be  authentic. 

1855 

Wardens:   John  Radcliff,  Henry  Daw. 

Vestrymen:  Henry  W.  Rogers,  Corneille  R.  Ganson, 
Robert  H.  Maynard,  Rollin  Germain,  Gibson  T.  Wil- 
liams, Walter  Cary,  Jesse  C.  Dann,  Henry  L.  Lansing. 

1856 

Wardens :    Henry  Daw,  Henry  W.  Rogers. 

Vestrymen :  Jesse  C.  Dann,  Corneille  R.  Ganson,  Gib- 
son T.  Williams,  Walter  Cary,  Henry  L.  Lansing,  Alex- 
ander A.  Evstaphieve,  Augustus  C.  Taylor,  John  Ganson. 

1857 

Wardens:    Henry  Daw,  Henry  W.  Rogers. 

Vestrymen :  Gibson  T.  Williams,  Corneille  R.  Ganson, 
Jesse  C.  Dann,  Henry  L.  Lansing,  Walter  Cary,  John 
Ganson,  Alexander  A.  Evstaphieve,  Augustus  C.  Taylor. 

John  M.  Hutchinson  was  clerk  of  the  vestry  from 
1855  to  1858.  At  this  date  the  pews  numbered  up  to 
one  hundred  and  eleven,  and  the  valuation  ran  from  two 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to  six  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

115 


1 1 6  History  of  Trinity  Church 

1858 

Wardens:    Henry  Daw,  Henry  W.  Rogers. 

Vestrymen:  Gibson  T.  Williams,  Alexander  A.  Ev- 
staphieve,  Jesse  C.  Dann,  James  M.  Smith,  Robert  Hol- 
lister, George  W.  Clinton,  John  M.  Hutchinson,  James 

C.  Harrison. 

1859 

Wardens:    Henry  Daw,  Henry  W.  Rogers. 

Vestrymen:  Alexander  A.  Evstaphieve,  James  M. 
Smith,  Robert  Hollister,  James  C.  Harrison,  George  W. 
Clinton,  Henry  Martin,  Stephen  V.  R.  Watson,  Samuel 
K.  Worthington. 

i860 

Wardens:    Henry  Daw,  Henry  W.  Rogers. 

Vestrymen:  James  M.  Smith,  Robert  Hollister,  Alex- 
ander A.  Evstaphieve,  Stephen  V.  R.  Watson,  Henry 
Martin,  Samuel    K.  Worthington,   James    C.   Harrison, 

Rufus  L.  Howard. 

1861 

Wardens:    Henry  Daw,  Henry  W.  Rogers. 

Vestrymen:  James  M.  Smith,  Robert  Hollister, 
Stephen  V.  R.  Watson,  Henry  Martin,  Samuel  K.  Wor- 
thington, James  C.  Harrison,  Rufus  L.  Howard. 

In  1 86 1,  the  Reverend  O.  F.  Starkey  was  appointed 
assistant  rector  during  the  absence  of  Doctor  Ingersoll. 
He  was  much  beloved  by  the  congregation. 

1862 

Wardens:    Henry  Daw,  Henry  W.  Rogers. 

Vestrymen:  James  M.  Smith,  Robert  Hollister, 
Stephen  V.  R.  Watson,  Henry  Martin,  Samuel  K.  Wor- 
thington, James  C.  Harrison,  Rufus  L.  Howard. 


Wardens  and  Vestrymen  1 1 7 

1863 

Wardens :    Henry  Daw,  Henry  W.  Rogers. 

Vestrymen:  Rufus  L.  Howard,  Stephen  V.  R.Watson, 
Samuel  K.  Worthington,  Benjamin  F.  Smith,  James  Mc- 
Credie,  David  P.  Dobbins,  Rufus  C.  Palmer,  Augustus  C. 
Taylor. 

1864 

Wardens:    Henry  Daw,  Henry  W.  Rogers. 

Vestrymen:  Rufus  L.  Howard,  Stephen  V.  R.Watson, 
Samuel  K.  Worthington,  Benjamin  F.  Smith,  James  Mc- 
Credie,  David  P.  Dobbins,  Rufus  C.  Palmer,  Augustus  C. 
Taylor. 

1865 

Wardens:    Henry  W.  Rogers,  Robert  Hollister. 

Vestrymen:  Rufus  L.  Howard,  Stephen  V.  R.Watson, 
Samuel  K.  Worthington,  Benjamin  F.  Smith,  James  Mc- 
Credie,  David  P.  Dobbins,  Rufus  C.  Palmer,  Augustus  C. 
Taylor,  John  Cook. 

1866 

Wardens:    Henry  W.  Rogers,  Robert  Hollister. 

Vestrymen:  Rufus  L.  Howard,  Samuel  K.  Worthing- 
ton, Augustus  C.  Taylor,  Benjamin  F.  Smith,  James  Mc- 
Credie,  John  H.  Vought,  John  Allen,  junior,  James  M. 
Smith. 

1867 

Wardens:    Henry  W.  Rogers,  Robert  Hollister. 

Vestrymen:  Rufus  L.  Howard,  James  M.  Smith, 
James  McCredie,  John  H.  Vought,  John  Allen,  junior, 
Gibson  T.  Williams,  Henry  Kip,  Joseph  D.  Roberts. 


1 1 8  History  of  Trinity  Church 

1868 

Wardens:    Henry  W.  Rogers,  Robert  Hollister. 

Vestrymen:  Rufus  L.  Howard,  James  M.  Smith, 
James  McCredie,  John  H.  Vought,  John  Allen,  junior, 
Gibson  T.  Williams,  Henry  Kip,  Joseph  D.  Roberts. 

1869 

Wardens:    Henry  W.  Rogers,  Robert  Hollister. 

Vestrymen:  James  M.  Smith,  Rufus  L.  Howard, 
James  McCredie,  John  H.  Vought,  George  L.  Williams, 
John  Allen,  junior,  Samuel  M.  Welch. 

1870 

Wardens:    Henry  W.  Rogers,  Robert  Hollister. 

Vestrymen:  Rufus  L.  Howard,  James  M.  Smith, 
James  McCredie,  Henry  Kip,  Samuel  M.  Welch,  William 
Williams,  William  H.  Dudley,  George  Gorham. 

1871 

Wardens:    Henry  W.  Rogers,  Robert  Hollister. 

Vestrymen:  Rufus  L.  Howard,  James  M.  Smith, 
James  McCredie,  Henry  Kip,  Samuel  M.  Welch,  William 
Williams,  George  Gorham,  Stephen  V.  R.  Watson. 

1872 

Wardens:    Robert  Hollister,  James  M.  Smith. 

Vestrymen:  Samuel  M.Welch,  Rufus  L.  Howard, 
James  McCredie,  Benjamin  F.  Smith,  Thomas  F.  Roch- 
ester, George  Gorham,  Henry  Kip,  Stephen  V.  R.  Watson, 


Wardens  and  Vestrymen  1 1 9 

1873 

Wardens:    Robert  Hollister,  James  M.  Smith. 

Vestrymen:  Rufus  L.  Howard,  James  McCredie, 
Henry  Kip,  Samuel  M.  Welch,  Stephen  V.  R.  Watson, 
Samuel  K.  Worthington,  Thomas  F.  Rochester,  Walter 
Cary. 

1874 

Wardens:  James  M.  Smith,  Alexander  A.  Evsta- 
phieve. 

Vestrymen:  Samuel  M.  Welch,  Delevan  F.  Clark, 
Henry  M.  Watson,  Joseph  T.  Fairchild,  Townsend  Davis, 
Livingston  Lansing,  Henry  C.  Winslow,  William  E. 
Foster. 

It  was  this  vestry  which  had  the  honor  of  calling  the 
Reverend  Doctor  Van  Bokkelen  to  the  rectorship. 

1875 

Wardens:  James  M.  Smith,  Alexander  A.  Evsta- 
phieve. 

Vestrymen:  Townsend  Davis,  Delevan  F.  Clark, 
Henry  C.  Winslow,  Samuel  M.  Welch,  Moses  Smith, 
Henry  M.  Watson,  Joseph  T.  Fairchild,  William  E. 
Foster. 

1876 

Wardens:  James  M.  Smith,  Alexander  A.  Evsta- 
phieve. 

Vestrymen:  Samuel  M.  Welch,  William  Laverack, 
Moses  Smith,  Delevan  F.  Clark,  Henry  C.  Winslow, 
Henry  M.  Watson,  Charles  B.  Germain,  William  E. 
Foster. 


1 20  History  of  Trinity  Church 

1S77 

Wardens:  James  M.  Smith,  Alexander  A.  Evsta- 
phieve. 

Vestrymen:  Moses  Smith,  Samuel  M.  Welch,  Charles 
B.  Germain,  William  Laverack,  Frank  W.  Fiske,  John 
Allen,  junior,  Sylvester  F.  Mixer,  Samuel  M.  Welch, 
junior. 

It  was  this  vestry  which  elected  the  Reverend  Doctor 
Ingersoll  rector  emeritus. 

1878 

Wardens:  James  M.  Smith,  Alexander  A.  Evsta- 
phieve. 

Vestrymen:  Samuel  M.  Welch,  William  Laverack, 
Moses  Smith,  Sylvester  F.  Mixer,  Frank  W.  Fiske,  Sam- 
uel M.  Welch,  junior,  Charles  B.  Germain,  George  J. 
Sicard. 

1879 

Wardens:  James  M.  Smith,  Alexander  A.  Evsta- 
phieve. 

Vestrymen:  William  Laverack,  Samuel  K.  Worthing- 
ton,  Samuel  M.  Welch,  Delevan  F.  Clark,  William  H. 
Gratwick,  Samuel  M.  Welch,  junior,  Lawrence  D.  Rum- 
sey,  Nathaniel  Rochester. 

1880 

Wardens:   James  M.  Smith,  Elam  R.  Jewett. 

Vestrymen:  Samuel  K.  Worthington,  Samuel  M. 
Welch,  William  Laverack,  Henry  M.  Watson,  Nathaniel 
Rochester,  William  H.  Gratwick,  Samuel  M.  Welch, 
junior,  Lawrence  D.  Rumsey. 


Wardens  and  Vestryme7i  i  2 1 

1881 

Wardens:    Elam  R.  Jewett,  William  Laverack. 

Vestrymen:  Samuel  M.Welch,  William  H.  Gratvvick, 
Samuel  K.  Worthington,  Nathaniel  Rochester,  Samuel 
M.  Welch,  junior,  Edmund  W.  Granger,  Charles  A.  De 
Laney,  Porter  Norton. 

1882 

Wardens:    Elam  R.  Jewett,  William  Laverack. 

Vestrymen:  Samuel  K.  Worthington,  William  H. 
Gratwick,  Edmund  W.  Granger,  Charles  A.  DeLaney, 
Porter  Norton,  Rufus  L.  Howard,  Delevan  F.  Clark. 

1883 
Wardens:    Elam  R.  Jewett,  William  Laverack. 
Vestrymen:     Samuel    K.  Worthington,  William    H. 
Gratwick,  Delevan  F.  Clark,  Charles  A.  DeLaney,  Porter 
Norton,  Rufus  L.  Howard,  Edmund  W.  Granger,  William 
Meadows. 

1884 

Wardens:    Elam  R.  Jewett,  William  Laverack. 

Vestrymen :  Rufus  L.  Howard,  Samuel  K.  Worthing- 
ton, William  H.  Gratwick,  Edmund  W.  Granger,  James 
P.  White,  Leonidas  Doty,  Moses  M.  Smith,  Charles  H. 
Utley. 

In  this  year  the  consolidation  of  the  two  parishes  of 
Trinity  and  Christ  Church  was  effected,  and  a  joint 
vestry  selected  from  both,  as  follows: 

Wardens:    Thomas  Dennis,  Elam  R.  Jewett. 

Vestrymen:  Asaph  S.  Bemis,  Ensign  Bennett,  Henry 
C.  Springer,  Andrew  J.  Packard,  Rufus  L.  Howard,  Wil- 
liam H.  Gratwick,  Leonidas  Doty,  Edmund  W.  Granger. 


122  History  of  Trinity  Church 

1885 

Wardens:    Elam  R.  Jewett,  Thomas  Dennis. 

Vestrymen:    William  H.  Gratwick,  Ensign  Bennett, 

Rufus    L.   Howard,  Asaph    S.   Bemis,  Leonidas    Doty, 

Henry    C.  Springer,  Edmund    W.  Granger,  Hobart    B. 

Loomis. 

1886 

Wardens:    Rufus  L.  Howard,  Thomas  Dennis. 

Vestrymen:  William  H.  Gratwick,  Nathaniel  Roch- 
ester, William  Laverack,  Ensign  Bennett,  M.  Bainbridge 
Folwell,  Hobart  B.  Loomis,  Charles  H.  Utley,  Peter  C. 
Doyle. 

This  was  the  vestry  that  elected  the  Reverend  Doctor 

Lobdell. 

1887 

Wardens:    Rufus  L.  Howard,  Thomas  Dennis. 

Vestrymen:     William    Laverack,    Ensign    Bennett, 

Peter    C.  Doyle,  William    H.  Gratwick,  M.  Bainbridge 

Folwell,  Charles  H.  Utley,  Hobart  B.  Loomis,  Nathaniel 

Rochester. 

1888 

Wardens:    Rufus  L.  Howard,  Thomas  Dennis. 

Vestrymen:  Peter  C.  Doyle,  Hobart  B.  Loomis,  M. 
Bainbridge  Folwell,  Charles  H.  Utley,  Nathaniel  Roch- 
ester, Porter  Norton,  George  Gorham,  Samuel  K.  Wor- 

thington. 

1889 

Wardens:    Rufus  L.  Howard,  David  P.  Dobbins. 

Vestrymen:  Porter  Norton,  Charles  H.  Utley,  M. 
Bainbridge  Folwell,  Hobart  B.  Loomis,  Samuel  K.  Wor- 
thington,  George  Gorham,  Peter  C.  Doyle,  Nathaniel 
Rochester. 


Wardens  and  Vestrymen  1 2  3 

1890 

Wardens:    Rufus  L.  Howard,  David  P.  Dobbins. 

Vestiymen:  Porter  Norton,  Charles  H.  Utley,  M. 
Bainbridge  Folwell,  Hobart  B.  Loomis,  Samuel  K.  Wor- 
thington,  George  Gorham,  Peter  C.  Doyle,  Nathaniel 
Rochester. 

1891 

Wardens:    Rufus  L.  Howard,  David  P.  Dobbins. 

Vestrymen:  Porter  Norton,  Charles  H.  Utley,  M. 
Bainbridge  Folwell,  Samuel  K.  Worthington,  George 
Gorham,  Peter  C.  Doyle,  Nathaniel  Rochester,  Henry 
M.  Watson. 

1892 

Wardens:    Rufus  L.  Howard,  David  P.  Dobbins. 

Vestrymen:  Nathaniel  Rochester,  Peter  C.  Doyle, 
M.  Bainbridge  Folwell,  Charles  H.  Utley,  George  Gor- 
ham, Samuel  K.  Worthington,  Porter  Norton,  Henry  M. 
Watson. 

1893 

Wardens:    Rufus  L.  Howard,  George  Gorham. 

Vestrymen:  Nathaniel  Rochester,  Peter  C.  Doyle, 
M.  Bainbridge  Folwell,  Charles  H.  Utley,  Samuel  K. 
Worthington,  Porter  Norton,  Henry  M.  Watson,  Robert 
L.  Fryer. 

1894 

Wardens:    Rufus  L.  Howard,  George  Gorham. 

Vestrymen:  Nathaniel  Rochester,  Peter  C.  Doyle, 
M.  Bainbridge  Folwell,  Charles  H.  Utley,  Samue^  K. 
Worthington,  Porter  Norton,  Henry  M.  Watson,  Robert 
L.  Fryer. 


i  24  History  of  Trinity  Church 

1895 

Wardens:    Rufus  L.  Howard,  George  Gorham. 

Vestrymen:  Nathaniel  Rochester,  Peter  C.  Doyle, 
M.  Bainbridge  Folwell,  Charles  H.  Utley,  Samuel  K. 
Worthington,  Porter  Norton,  Henry  M.  Watson,  Robert 
L.  Fryer. 

1896 

Wardens:    Rufus  L.  Howard,  George  Gorham. 

Vestrymen:  Nathaniel  Rochester,  Peter  C.  Doyle, 
Edmund  W.  Granger,  Charles  H.  Utley,  Samuel  K. 
Worthington,  Porter  Norton,  Henry  M.  Watson,  Robert 
L.  Fryer. 

1897 

Wardens. — For  one  year:    George  Gorham. 

For  two  years :    Nathaniel  Rochester. 

Vestrymen. — For  one  year:  Charles  H.  Utley,  Henry 
M.  Watson,  Henry  C.  Howard. 

For  two  years:  Samuel  K.  Worthington,  Robert  L. 
Fryer,  Wilson  S.  Bissell. 

For  three  years:  Peter  C.  Doyle,  Porter  Norton, 
Edmund  W.  Granger. 


Memorial  Gifts 

Christ  Chapel 

Before  the  Consolidation 

Altar,  in  memory  of  Jane  Elizabeth  Forsyth. 

Chancel  window,  in  memory  of  Jennie  Angelina 
Laning. 

Lectern,  in  memory  of  Martha  J.  Dealey. 

Window  at  end  of  nave,  in  memory  of  Charles  Knapp 
Loomis. 

Window,  in  memory  of  Cameron  and  Agnes  Masten. 

Window,  in  memory  of  Gilbert  Holland  Warren. 

Brass  tablet  on  south  wall,  in  memory  of  Arthur 
Perry  Nichols. 

Latin  cross,  in  memory  of  May  Kasson. 

Christ  Chapel 

After  the  Consolidation 

Prayer  desk,  in  memory  of  Emily  and  Alexander  A. 
Evstaphieve. 

Brass  tablet  on  south  wall,  in  memory  of  the  Rever- 
end Thomas  Dennis,  church  warden. 

Brass  tablet  on  north  wall,  in  memory  of  Asaph  S. 
Bemis,  church  warden. 

Altar  service  books,  in  memory  of  Mrs.  Zillah  Rob- 
erts Fell. 

125 


126  History  of  Trinity  Church 

White  altar  cloth,  in  memory  of  the  Reverend  Thomas 
Dennis. 

Six  brass  vesper  candlesticks,  in  memory  of  Mrs. 
Adelia  Dennis. 

Trinity  Church. 

Chancel  windows,  John  La  Farge,  artist, 
i .    "  Nativity  of  Our  Lord,"  in  memory  of  James  Piatt 
White,  M.  D.,  and  Mary  Elizabeth  White. 

2.  "  Adoration  of  the  Magi,"  in  memory  of  Jerry 
Radcliffe  and  Ariadne  Webster  Radcliffe. 

3.  "The  Transfiguration,"  in  memory  of  the  Rever- 
end Edward  Ingersoll,  D.  D. 

4.  "  The  Resurrection,"  in  memory  of  Stephen  Van 
Rensselaer  Watson. 

5.  "  The  Ascension,"  in  memory  of  Harriette  Cor- 
nelia Howard. 

Window  over  memorial  altar,  by  La  Farge;  subject, 
"The  Sealing  of  the  Twelve  Tribes";  in  memory  of 
Anna  M.  Sherman  and  Gretchen  Van  Dalsten. 

Window  by  La  Farge,  illustrating  the  twenty-third 
psalm,  in  memory  of  Mrs.  George  S.  Hazard. 

Window  by  Mayer  &  Co.,  Munich;  subject,  "Faith 
and  Charity";  in  memory  of  Mrs.  James  M.  Smith. 

Window  by  Tiffany;  subject,  "Saint  Cecilia";  in 
memory  of  Orson  Phelps  and  Mary  Louise  Phelps. 

Window  by  Tiffany;  subject,  "  Christ  Restoring  Sight 
to  the  Blind";  in  memory  of  Sylvester  F.  Mixer,  M.  D., 
Annie  Knowlton  Mixer,  Mary  Knowlton  Mixer. 

Window  by  La  Farge;  subject,  "The  Good  Samari- 
tan"; in  memory  of  Thomas  F.  Rochester,  M.  D. 


Memorial  Gifts  127 

Window  by  Tiffany;  subject,  "The  Archangels 
Gabriel  and  Raphael ";  in  memory  of  James  McCredie 
and  Caroline  M.  McCredie. 

Window  by  La  Farge;  subject,  "The  Calling  of  Saint 
James";  in  memory  of  James  C.  Harrison. 

Window  by  Gibson's  Sons;  subject,  "Christ  Knock- 
ing at  the  Door";  in  memory  of  William  G.  Fargo. 

Window  by  Tiffany;  subject,  "The  Annunciation"; 
the  gift  of  Mrs.  Edward  H.  Dutton. 

Window  by  Tiffany;  subject,  "The  Calling  of  Saint 
Matthew";  in  memory  of  James  Daniels  Sheppard. 

Window  by  Hardman  &  Co.,  London;  subject,  "  The 
Feeding  of  Elisha  in  the  Wilderness";  in  memory  of 
Leonidas  Doty. 

Window  in  vestibule,  by  Hardman  &  Co.,  London; 
subject,  "Mary  and  Martha";  given  by  Saint  Luke's 
Church. 

Altar  and  reredos,  in  memory  of  Amelia  D'Arcy 
Van  Bokkelen  and  Henrietta  Maria  Van  Bokkelen. 

Altar  cross  and  vases,  in  memory  of  Bertha  Van 
Bokkelen. 

Violet  altar  cloth,  in  memory  of  Elam  R.  Jewett. 

White  altar  cloth,  in  memory  of  Cecilia  Utley. 

Red  altar  cloth,  in  memory  of  Eunice  A.  Hutchinson. 

Green  altar  cloth,  in  memory  of  Ellen  Marvine  Gor- 
ham. 

Fair  linen  cloth,  veils,  burse,  etc.,  in  memory  of  Louise 
White. 

White  antependium  for  pulpit,  in  memory  of  Chandler 
J.  Wells. 

Silver  alms  basin,  in  memory  of  the  Reverend  Doctor 
Ingersoll. 


128  History  of  Trinity  Church 

Silver  alms  basin,  in  memory  of  the  Reverend  Doctor 
Van  Bokkelen. 

Silver  chalice  and  paten,  in  memory  of  May  Husted 
Foster. 

Two  candelabra,  in  memory  of  Marianne  Humphreys 
Pease  and  Julia  F.  Pease. 

Processional    cross,    in   memory   of    Frederic    Betts 
Foster. 

Alms  chest  and  brass  tablet  in  the  tower  vestibule,  in 
memory  of  Frederic  Betts  Foster. 

Alms  chest  in  the  main  vestibule,  in  memory  of 
Asaph  S.  Bemis. 

Pulpit  and  lantern,  in  memory  of  Mary  Richards 
Dobbins. 

Litany  desk,  in  memory  of  Bradford  Chauncey 
Howard. 

Brass  lectern,  in  memory  of  George  B.  Gates. 

Chair  rail,  in  memory  of  James  P.  White. 

Hymn  board,  in  memory  of  Miss  Lydia  Stewart. 

Hymn  board,  in  memory  of  Nathaniel  Hall. 

Memorial  Chapel 

Reredos,  in  memory  of  Julia  E.  Tryon. 

Altar  cross,  in  memory  of  those  buried  by  Doctor 
Van  Bokkelen. 

Baptismal  font  and  brass  rail,  in  memory  of  Mary 
Heathcote  Rochester. 

Marble  statue  of  "  Hope,"  in  memory  of  Mrs.  James 
M.  Smith. 

Ewer,  font,  and  cover,  in  memory  of  those  baptized 
by  Doctor  Van  Bokkelen. 


Memorial  Gifts  129 

Silver  baptismal  bowl,  in  memory  of  Louise  White. 

Green  altar  cloth,  in  memory  of  Julia  H.  Rieffcnstahl. 

Good  Friday  altar  cloths,  in  memory  of  Mary  Knowl- 
ton  Mixer. 

Two  altar  vases,  gift  of  Mrs.  Thomas  F.  Rochester. 

Full  set  of  service  books,  in  memory  of  Charlotte 
Brownell  Ives. 

Altar  book  (by  Updike),  Thanksgiving  offering  by  T. 
Guilford  Smith. 

Silver  communion  set  for  the  sick,  in  memory  of 
Antoinette  Haven. 

Silver  baptismal  bowl,  in  memory  of  Mrs.  Thomas  F. 
Rochester. 

Two  brass  eucharistic  candlesticks,  in  memory  of 
Rosalind  B.  Ross. 

Silver  flagon,  in  memory  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William 
Laverack. 

Tablets 

Marble  tablet,  in  memory  of  the  Right  Reverend 
Cicero  Stephens  Hawks,  D.  D.,  first  rector  of  the  parish. 

Marble  tablet,  in  memory  of  the  Reverend  Edward 
Ingersoll,  second  rector  of  the  parish. 

Marble  tablet,  in  memory  of  Catherine  F.  Ingersoll. 

Brass  tablet,  in  memory  of  the  Reverend  Libertus 
Van  Bokkelen,  third  rector  of  the  parish. 

Brass  tablet,  in  memory  of  Alexander  Alexis  Evsta- 
phieve. 

Brass  tablet,  in  memory  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert 
Hollister. 

Brass  tablet,  in  memory  of  James  Daniels  Shepard. 


1 30  History  of  Trinity  Church 

Marble  tablet,  in  memory  of  Samuel  L.  Russell. 
Marble  tablet,  in  memory  of  Jerry  Radcliffe. 
Marble  tablet,  in  memory  of  Henry  Daw. 
Brass  tablet,  in  memory  of  James  P.  Dobbins. 


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